


Pages from the Bookhoard

by DragonHoardsBooks



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Star Wars - All Media Types, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sith Obi-Wan, Tumblr Prompt, possible crossovers, prompt collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-27 02:24:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 85
Words: 33,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13871100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonHoardsBooks/pseuds/DragonHoardsBooks
Summary: Prompts originally from my tumblr crossposted here. Mostly Star Wars.





	1. A Gentle Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts originally posted on my tumblr at dragonhoardsbookz.

This is a story about Obi-Wan Kenobi.

He isn’t quite sure when and where it started, maybe on Bandomeer (his worth only defined by his acceptance of self-sacrifice), maybe on Melida/Daan (left behind, for wanting to help people), but it gets stronger with every negligence, every casual dismissal of his opinions and abilities. The nagging feeling of never being quite good enough.

His talents get disregarded by his master. “Live in the moment”, but how, when his dreams scream of danger, and nobody wants to do anything about it. In this he will never gain his master’s approval, so he slowly stops craving it, day by day. He searches for answers and lessons at other places, and he finds darkness sometimes, down in the deep of the temple.

He leaves his master’s teachings behind one last time, when again he asks for connection and recieves orders instead, only ever a means to an end, “Train the boy”.

His padawan grows from a sweet child to an arrogant man, and again it’s always his fault, he gives all he has to give and it is never enough. He is expected to mold himself to the people around him, never just be himself, and is this love? Is his presence just convenience, someone to blame, someone to _own_?

He understands now that all he ever is and always will be, something to use. Whatever he says does not matter, he is expected to follow orders and achieve goals that are ot his own.

His family, the order he hurt and bled and killed for will only ever use him. His brother doesn’t trust him and still blames him for all that goes wrong. All he ever asked is to be seen, to be a person in his own right, and no one cares or bothers, and he’s had _enough_!

This is a story about Obi-Wan Kenobi. His was a Gentle Fall, for it was born only by the need for acceptance.


	2. The Great Hoth Conspiracy

It is the year 2 ABY. Inmidst of rapant claustrophobia and nearly frozen extremities a very important meeting is taking place.

“Gentlebeings, we have to do something”, announces Luke Skywalker and takes a sip of the bottle in his hand. It’s supposed to be beer, but who knows these days. But as long as it’s containing alcohol, he doesn’t really care. “The situation has become untenable”

The pilots of Rogue Squadron surrounding him nod sagely. “It’s driving everyone up the wall.”

Everyone knows, if princess Leia Organa and that idiot Han Solo don’t get their shit together soon, the entire base will drown in unresolved sexual tension within the next month.

Needless to say, operation “Make The Idiots Kiss” fails spectaculary. Leia  could outstubborn anyone and Han would never miss an opportunity to metaphorically pull her pigtails.

But to this day, those involved in the “Great Hoth Conspiracy” (as it’s referred to in hushed voices, when it’s guaranteed Leia won’t hear, or heads would roll) know the most effective methods for matchmaking. Once you’ve tried everything, you know some tricks after all.


	3. Ink Bled Through Page After Page

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not actually Star Wars. I think. It might be, who knows.

There is darkness to be found here, brightened only by the light of a single candle, like a sign of hope, of the future.

The book is old, very old, and you are not the first to write in it. You must only write the truth as you’ve seen it, not more, not less, of another year past. Or future. In this place you can never be quite sure.

You write of death, and there is red shimmering in the ink.

You write of birth, and silver reflects the light.

You write, of hours, days, months, and you don’t let yourself be distracted by the shadows around you. By the _possibilies_.

You trained long for this, you were chosen for this craft, you of all the others, and you will not falter now.

The ink is bleeding through page after page, as you pour your life into them.

And finally, you are finished, you close the book, blow out the candle and turn to leave. As you reach the door, you wonder what is about to happen this time.

As when writing in the Book, you are never sure if you wrote the things because you saw them happen…or if the things happened because you wrote them.


	4. Corroding Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for this wasn't mine, post with the original can be found [here](http://shadowmaat.tumblr.com/post/170737614009/made-up-fic-title-meme-corroding-doubt-please).

Obi-Wan parried the lightsaber threatening to cut him in half. Launching an attack of his own, he forced the Sith closer to the melting pit. He could feel Master Qui-Gon behind him, trapped behind the ray shields, radiating fear and desparation. It was heartening to realize his master’s worry for him, but at the same time, Obi-Wan was filled with the sudden certainty that he would not die totay, however likely it may seem. 

After the long fight, Obi-Wan was certain he’d found a weakness in his opponent. And yes, there… He pushed the red lightsaber aside and raised his weapon for the final strike. But then a strange feeling of _something_ was running through him. Not doubt, no. Not worry. Something Other. Instead of stabbing, he kicked the Sith into the melting pit. 

However, the Zabrak had quick reflexes and pulled himself up on the pit’s other side.They looked at each other, Jedi and Sith, a moment frozen in time, then the Sith turned and fled towards the exit, deactivating the door mechanism behind him. Obi-Wan watched him disappear. There was change in the air, of that he was certain.

 

Maul was still fuming when he entered his ship and pressed the startup sequence. He could have waited on the planet, he was _supposed_ to wait on the planet for his Master’s arrival. But for some reason, he didn’t. The punishment for his failure would certainly be terrible, but Maul hadn’t run from pain for a very long time. It only increased the punishment, after all.

How dare this, this _Jedi_ to spare him? Maul’s life had been forfeit, he knew it. But the Jedi had let him go. Maul wasn’t sure if he would ever forgive him for it. A clean death was better than what ever awaited him in his Master’s residence.

 _Then why go back?_ the Force whispered. Maul didn’t really listen to it these days, the will of his Master was more important than the will of the Force. But now he realized he had been sent to his death, going against two Jedi. And of the two, the _whelp_ had bested him. Eventually, Maul would have his revenge for that.

He entered new coordinates into the hyperdrive, no matter where to, just away. He would take a new path now, and only follow his own will. 

 

_The prophecy of the Chosen One who will bring balance is very old. Spoken on the day of the Eclipse, the day the first schism began, it was a message of hope, of the future, of unity. Unfortunately, the Jedi’s language changed, and not all of their knowledge with it. When centuries later an aspiring young Jedi next read the document, he made a small but important mistake. Had a Sith been there, whose language was far closer to the original dialect, they would have translated it as follows:  
_

_There is One from the Dark. There is One from the Light. Together they will be as One, and bring balance to the Force._


	5. Can't Promise Tomorrow

Obi-Wan Kenobi, overworked and exhausted from the Clone Wars, is running himself into an early grave. To him it doesn’t matter, he know’s he will not live for more than 20 years hence. He’s _seen_ it. And there is so much work to do.

The empire is spreading its dark tendrils and the light needs to be protected. He’s setting up cells for the resistance, He calls in every favor he has to ensure that any force sensitive children will be protected and not fall into the Emperor’s hands.The men he fought alongside with, who betrayed him against their will, he does everything he can to help them, to set them free. There still are some Jedi left, some of them barely more than children, and someone needs to protect them. He is the only one who can.

Obi-Wan travels the galaxy with not enough sleep and barely enough food to keep him going. But he’s not alone. His companion?

Maybe there’s a bounty hunter who found the limit of what he’s willing to do for money. Maybe there’s a certain pirate who’s admiration far exceeds his love for money. Maybe one of the vode has found his general again and will stand by his side now and always. Maybe one of Obi-Wan’s fellow Jedi joined him, ready to take up the mantle of hope once Obi-Wan cannot carry it anymore.

Obi-Wan knows he’ll have to return to Tatooine one day, to watch over Luke. He’s keeping himself sustained with the Force, but it will not work indefinitely, it comes at a price. His partner gives him strength, he’s making it all worthwhile and Obi-Wan cherishes this comfort in these dark times.

He’ll have to leave eventually, he can’t promise them tomorrow. But at least they’ll have today.


	6. Rattle the Stars

During a catastrophic ship failure, a Jedi padawan crash-lands on Korriban (I want to say it was Obi-Wan Kenobi, but it might happen to anyone).

Now, this padawan isn’t stupid, it would be idiotic to just walk into the closest Sith tomb. But after a while, the food runs low, and while they set up a distress beacon it doesn’t look like they’ll be rescued anytime soon. And so they set out exploring.

How exactly they end up inside a tomb after all is unclear. They might have slipped and fallen in to a hole, or they might have caught a sudden case of stupid. Who knows. Anyway, there’s the spirit of a Sith lord in front of them, looking like they’ve just made his (her?) century. Lucky for them, he’s not in the mood for murder, but in the mood for teaching. And so a Jedi padawan become’s a more or less willing Sith apprentice (survival before principles). 

They learn the dark, they study the arts of the Sith, they hurt and despair and fight. And they persevere. And somewhere deep within their soul, they keep a spark of light.

To finish a Sith apprenticeship means to beat the master, and so the temple crumbles behind them as they leave. They are Sith and Jedi both and they have a purpose. Because they know, somewhere in the galaxy there is the Line of Bane, who plans to destroy the Jedi. They will not tolerate this.

Whatever they do next, when by coincidence (the Force) they manage to leave the planet, is not certain. Rejoin the Jedi, their darkness open or hidden. Work on their own, starting a conflict between Sith not seen for millenia.

But whatever it is, the events of the next years will rattle the stars.


	7. Souls Like Thunder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random Harry Potter crossover

It is rare for soulmates to be born in different galaxies. It is even rarer to have both minds connected at birth. The chance that both things happen to the same soulmate pair is astronomically small. So, of course, it would happen to the walking danger magnets Obi-Wan Kenobi and Harry Potter.

Obi-Wan’s vast protective instinct towards smaller beings is created mostly by the fact that his other half cries himself to sleep at night alone in his cupboard.

Harry finds magic easy after his second hand education in the Force. Though, why would you need a focus to do magic? He’s been floating things around since forever (always where the Dursleys wouldn’t see).

Obi-Wan envies Harry his ease in potions. It turns out, when you have the ingredients of several thousand planets to choose from, creating even the simplest potion becomes very complicated. Harry learns to feel the properties of his ingredients so he can show these feelings to his other half. Obi-Wan manages to create his first healing salve soon after. On Melida/Daan, because Obi-Wan always succeds when the need is greatest.

Harry - channeled by Obi-Wan’s mind - talks to Master Yoda, who, surprising the entire Order, takes him as a padawan. The teaching configuration of Qui-Gon, Yoda, Obi-Wan and Harry is Complicated.

When confronted with arrogant purebloods and corrupt politicians, Harry slips into Obi-Wan’s diplomat training easy as breathing, surprising both his friends and his enemies.

As soon as Obi-Wan learns of the existence of the animagus transformation, he badgers his other half into learning everything about it. They both start training and manage both their transformations within minutes of each other.

Obi-Wan has seen numerous conflicts and wars during his time as a padawan. Harry is prepared for the war with Voldemort in a way he otherwise wouldn’t have been.

They are seventeen, and Harry is walking to his death. He has no need to use the resurrection stone to meet parents he never knew. Instead, he is saying his goodbyes to Obi-Wan, his friend, his partner, his soul-mate. Green hits Harry, and their connection _breaks_. In a galaxy far away Harry Potter is knighted posthumousy.

When Obi-Wan takes Anakin Skywalker as his padawan, he understands the burden of prophecy placed on his charge’s young shoulders. He understands Anakin’s feelings, his other half having been in a similar situation. He also remembers Dumbledore, and what he did to Harry, and he warns Anakin about the dangers of seemingly benevolent old mentors.

Years later, Obi-Wan looks up, and suddenly Harry is standing there, having survived as we know. For years he searched for a way to be with Obi-Wan again. Because you can be certain that Harry Potter will bend the rules of space and time to be with his loved ones.


	8. Forget the Glass

“Forget the glass. Get me a bottle”, Obi-Wan told the bartender.

I could describe now how Obi-Wan was drowning his sorrows after order 66. But, you know, what order 66?

However, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi at his most exasperated. He wanted get a small drink to celebrate the birth of Anakin’s children (and escape the chaos), but the overall ridiculousness had reached a tipping point.

Anakin was panicking about becoming a parent and Padme was getting closer and closer to murdering him for running around like a headless chicken when she was trying to rest.

The Clone Collective thought that the newborn babies were the Best Thing since forever and the party preparations were getting out of control. Mace Windu had told Obi-Wan to get them under control and keep the decorations in a sensible amount. Please. As if anyone could control the 501st. And the 212th was helping them while Cody pretended to disapprove. They’d be lucky if the temple was still standing come morning.

The Jedi Order and the Senate were both panicking about a Sith Lord as the chancellor of the Republic. Well, Palpy was dead now, killed by yours truly (Anakin having been busy with the birth) and they could all just calm down, please.

There was further panic about the clones, and what they’d do now, and the Jedi Order obviously needed some reformations, and holy shit, you’d think hardened Jedi Masters wouldn’t be afraid of a little change.

Obi-Wan refused to deal with any of it. He’d drink this nice bottle of brandy, then he’d return to the temple and show Hardcase where to put the fireworks, Waxer was in charge of hanging up banners and stuff so he’d help with that (or rather, find some of the older initiates and padawans to help) and then he’d conscript some more vode to help him make a truly epic cake.

The next morning, he’d grab Cody and Rex and go on a long holiday. Let someone else deal with the bullshit for once.


	9. Sands of Hope

It isn’t a widely known fact, but Tatooine is one of the more Force-active planets in the galaxy. The Force is strong here and many things happen that might change fate. The native people, the Tuskens, live and breathe the Force, and they have a unique connection to the land they live on and the Force that guides them.

The children among the Tuskens who have a strong force-sensitivity are trained to be shamans, healers and guides and are generally the only ones who might travel between tribes. The Sight is strong for all of the Sand People, and so one day a child is born with a different destiny. His mother knows as soon as she looks at him the first time that her son will change the galaxy. Obi-Wan Kenobi, born under the light of only the first sun, the one to walk among the stars, is given to the outside world to join the Order of the Jedi.

The first time Obi-Wan returns to his clan, he’s taking the rites of adulthood. When it’s found that his Master isn’t willing (or able) to train his strongest gift, Obi-Wan studies the art of Divination and Sight under the seers and shamans of three different tribes. (The Jedi believe that the future is always in motion and so visions are treated as passing things. The Tuskens, however, are a more practical people. Why would the Force send you warnings if it didn’t want you to do something about it? And so they’ve developed a variety of tools to better understand its warnings.) Obi-Wan returns to the Temple and to his Master with a better understanding and confidence in his skills.

The second time Obi-Wan returns to Tatooine, he and his Master are escorting the Queen of Naboo to Coruscant. When he steps on the sand, the land whispers to him: A boy, so incredibly strong, yet his origin not quite natural. After his Master and the Queen left the ship for the settlement, there is something else. A hint of darkness, of danger.

Obi-Wan Kenobi grabs his weapon and looks towards the hidden figure he can just barely make out in the dark. He’s a child of Tatooine, he has the land in his bones and he won’t be beaten on his home ground.


	10. Remember the Fallen

A Jedi tradition that has unfortunately long since fallen to the wayside (because the Sith do it too, how _horrible_ ) is the Tattoo marking to commemorate imprtant events or people in a Jedi’s life.

It used to be, that you wrote the names of your fallen or lost masters and padawans on your skin. That you remembered the ones you killed in the line of duty. When leading an army, you better make sure that you don’t order the ones you lead to their death. You pay the spirits of those who died under your command with your blood.

These days, a Jedi does not mark their body, it’s supposed to stay as clear as their mind. Exceptions for a Jedi’s birth culture are made, but rarely.

You can imagine the surprise, then, when about a week after the end of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi enters the Room of a Thousand Fountains with a completely bare upper body. Both Clones and Jedi _stare_. There is a elaborate tattoo on his back, a vine stretching from his left hip across to his right shoulder where it curls and branches off to end on his collarbone. On the vine, in the yellow-gold of the 212th, are names, pictures and symbols. Everyone who died during the war at his orders is written across Obi-Wan’s skin.

Obi-Wan is the first to resurrect the old custom, but he is far from the only one who does. The Jedi Remember their Fallen, and they will honor their sacrifice.


	11. Sparkling on Wind

Most Jedi meditate to deeply connect with the Force, to feel its patterns and breathe its strength.

For Anakin, the Force was always just _there_. It’s a hint of _do this_ , a nudge of _don’t go there_ , it’s comfort and warning and home. Sure, he can meditate, but for him it expands the scale to an overwhelming level. In meditation, Anakin could tell you how many blades of grass were growing in a specific meadow on the other side of the planet. He senses life and possibility and it’s often just too much.

When Obi-Wan tells him to listen to the Force, Anakin always wants to shout. _I did, I know what it says, I don’t need to stop and consider like you always do_. It takes him a long time to realize and even longer to admit that sometimes, he doesn’t hear right. _Sometimes he’s wrong_.

But Anakin’s talent to instinctively know what the Force wants to tell him serves him well in the war. They call his plans crazy and his successes impossible but all he does is just. Know. _Do this, try that, you can do it_.

Anakin isn’t sure if anyone realizes just how strong his connection to the Force really is. Maybe Obi-Wan does, but no one else for sure. He could talk to Chancellor Palpatine about it, the man has become a trusted friend over the years, but there is always an echo of _no_ around him.

Still, Anakin is young. He is in love, he has found friends among the soldiers ( ~~slaves~~ ) he leads. And the Force is there, Sparkling on the Wind, and as long as he listens to it, things will turn out all right.


	12. Grandma Kenobi - Dress for Success

Anakin has to hand it to Obi-Wan. His Master knows how to dress for success.

Obi-Wan might prefer the plain and simple Jedi robes, but if he has to go undercover or convince a politician with a weakness for beauty, he’s pulling out all the stops. Obi-Wan’s infinite closet has smuggler garb next to the more elaborate Jedi ceremonial dress. He can dress as a spacer or a senate aid, a waiter or a nobelman. And that’s not all. Obi-Wan can do about 12 different accents of basic, he speaks a lot of languages and he know’s how to fit in anywhere.

When teenaged Anakin had a phase where he wanted to wear eyeliner, it was Obi-Wan who taught him. And while they were at it, how to change one’s appearance with some clever application of makeup. Also, the thing his master can do with his _hair_ … It’s incredible.

One time Anakin asked where Obi-Wan had learned all of this. Certainly it wasn’t part of the standard Jedi training.  
“From my grandmother”, is the answer he gets, “she taught me all she knew. She was quite famous in certain circles, they called her ‘The Kingmaker’.” 

‘Certain circles’, it turn’s out, means both the criminal world and the aristocracy of the Core Worlds. It’s Dex who finally gives Anakin an explanation. Before the Kenobi Matron married Obi-Wan’s grandfather, she was both a famous courtesan and an infamous spy, with a frankly amazing array of skills.

Anakin may be the Chosen One and all that, but Obi-Wan definitely has the better style to actually pull it off


	13. HondObi - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Hondo and Obi-Wan. Bar fight. Hopefully they win and it ends in a kiss.

“How dare you accuse me of cheating?” Hondo shouted and rose from his place at the sabacc table, hand on his blaster. Across him, the Zabrak stood up as well.

“Hondo, darling, you _always_ cheat.” The impending shootout was interrupted by a cloaked and hooded man, who had just entered the cantina. He came closer and pulled down his hood, a smile on his face.

“Kenobi!” Hondo was delighted, “We haven’t seen each other in… you know, I can’t even remember. What brings you into this grubby part of the galaxy?”

“Business, dear, business as usual. And when I heard you were around, I just had to come and say hello. But getting caught cheating at cards, Hondo, really. What would your mother say?” Obi-Wan answered teasingly, his smile widening.

Hondo was saved from answering – why did Obi-Wan always have to bring up his mother? – by the surly Zabrak who had rounded the table and planted himself in front of Hondo. “I want my money back, asshole.”

“Excuse you”, Obi-Wan inserted, his voice perfectly pleasant, “we are trying to have a conversation here. You really didn’t need to interrupt us. How rude.” Then he punched the Zabrak in the face.

“That was fun”, Hondo announced later, while he and Obi-Wan were rifling through the pockets of their downed opponents. Obi-Wan looked up. His eyes were sparkling and there was pure delight (and a small blood splatter) on his face. It might not be the most appropriate place, but Hondo had always been bad at impulse control, and so he leaned across the body and kissed Obi-Wan.

He was instantly rewarded by his lover deepening the kiss and two arms sneaking around his neck. As Hondo was about to suggest they move to a more private place, there was a small _snap_ and Obi-Wan moved back, with the pendant Hondo had _acquired_ recently in his hand.

“I’m sorry dear, but I was hired to get this back. You really should know better that to steal from those who don’t have much in the first place.”

Hondo wanted to be angry, but it was really hard when Obi-Wan’s lips were still kiss-swollen. Still, he wouldn’t let Obi-Wan escape so easily. He tried to move, but found himself frozen by an invisible hand. _Cheater_. “I’ll get you for this!”

“Only if you catch me”, Obi-Wan replied, grinning, and left the bar to the sound of Hondo’s delighted laughter.


	14. Flickering Night

There are certain truths every Jedi learns while growing up, and for Qui-Gon Jinn they might as well be written in stone.

 _Those who fall to the Dark cannot return, and in the darkness there is no love or joy._ He remembers his Xanatos. Turned from a sweet child into a cruel and ruthless man.

 _All Sith are evil and must be destroyed._ The moment he cut Maul in half is stark in his mind. He thought he killed the Zabrak, but now, years later, he is back, with revenge on his mind.

The galaxy is at war, the darkness is spreading and Qui-Gon feels as if there is a darksider around every corner. There is Dooku, with Ventress and Grievous as his loyal follwers. There is Maul, and the one believed to be his brother. Behind the scenes, there might be a Sith Lord. And then there is Obi-Wan Kenobi, his padawan-that-wasn’t.

Qui-Gon remembers Bandomeer all too well. How Obi-Wan had offered to blow himself up. How Qui-Gon had decided that, yes, that one was worthy after all. And then Obi-Wan had looked at him with blank eyes, and told him “No thank you, Master Jinn. I believe I will be just fine on my own.” And then he’d disappeared.

Looking back, Qui-Gon can find Obi-Wan’s influence throughout the years. The civil war on Melida/Daan that found an unexpected conclusion even before the Jedi could take action. Mandalore, where the pacifism of Clan Kryze is now moderated by the older Mandalorian tradition. Other planets, where Obi-Wan is loved and always welcome.

But Obi-Wan is a darksider, of that there is no doubt. He even might be a Sith, though he claims no title. He fights for the Seperatists, sometimes, because he claims their cause just. He turns up unexpectedly on the battlefield, to turn the tide, and more than one Jedi ows their life to him. He is dark, and he is a protector. As he says, he “fights for those without a voice of their own”. Qui-Gon remembers a little child, who’d run trustingly into Obi-Wan’s arms, paying no mind to the amber in his eyes or the aura of darkness that surrounds him.

The galaxy is turning darker and darker, but in between there is a smile, and golden eyes bringing light. And the Night Flickers.


	15. A Gentle Fall 2 - Don't expect me not to fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to 'A Gentle Fall' (Chapter 1)

“I really don’t know what you were expecting”, the cloaked figure said. Anakin struggled against the ropes binding him, but to no avail. He had come to the planet to investigate the disappearance of several battalions, with all of the Clones and even sometimes Jedi suddenly going missing. The trail led here, but it seemed he had deeply underestimated the organization behind it.

“Who are you?”, he asked angrily. In the shadows of his hood, the man chuckled darkly. “Did you really forget me so easily? Don’t you hear the truth the Force is practically shouting at you? Sloppy, padawan, very sloppy.”

He pulled his hood down and Anakin finally realized why the other had seemed so familiar. Before him stood Obi-Wan Kenobi, who’d disappeared together with the 212th without a trace months before. Except he couldn’t be. Not like… this. With shadows like snakes curling around him and burning eyes the color of amber.

“Oh Force. Obi-Wan, what happened?” Anakin whispered. His former Master chuckled, but it was not a happy sound.

“What happened? The Republic happened. The war happened. The Jedi Council with their sanctimonious bullshit happened. You happened, endlessly demanding I bow to your every whim.” Obi-Wan answered. Rage filled his eyes and made the shadows dance.

No that plainly just wasn’t true, but Anakin had heard that the dark side distorted your perception. All he ever wanted to be was Obi-Wan’s friend, but his master had always kept his distance. Kept secrets. Refused to consider Anakin’s opinions. It certainly wasn’t Anakin who made the drift between them. “Just because I get upset at you for keeping stuff from me…” Anakin was interrupted by Obi-Wan exploding”

“I’m NOT YOUR FUCKING SLAVE, Anakin! I’m my own person, with hopes and dreams and a fucking private life! I’m not required to report everything that ever happened to me for your approval. As for keeping secrets during the war…Have you ever heard of personal integrity? Probably not, given that you broke your vows to the Jedi order even before being knighted.” The Force had stretched around Obi-Wan, plunging the room into darkness. The only source of light were Obi-Wan’s eyes, glowing with rage.

While Anakin was still reeling from the flow of accusations, Obi-Wan took a deep breath. “I simply have had enough, Anakin. I’m done with not being good enough, I give and give and give and I only ever get the mistakes I make thrown into my face. That part is over.”

At that moment the door opened… and Asajj Ventress entered the room. She waved her hand and the lights turned back on. “You could choke a small lightsider in here. We’re ready to move out. Have you decided what we should do with him?”

Obi-Wan waved his hand vaguely. “I’m sure we can find a use for him, given his circumstances. We’ll stuff him somewhere in the meantime.”

“We’ll not take him with us to the main compound though?” Ventress asked hopefully.

“Force no. We’ll put him somewhere offsite where he can’t disturb our plans and I don’t have to listen to his whinging.”

“Good.” Ventress picked Anakin up and dragged him towards the door, where someone else was waiting, who…

“Rex?” Anakin asked. The 501st had been the second battalion to disappear and he’d been worried sick. To find them here was…”Why?”

Rex took him by the arm and started to lead him through the corridor. “Because we are more than pieces for you to discard in your search for glory.”


	16. Pray (That Somebody is Joking)

Obi-Wan is sitting in the meeting room next to the Council chamber and doesn’t believe what he is hearing. The _traveler_ regales the Council and several other Jedi including Obi-Wan and Master Qui-Gon with a story of death, of war, of betrayal. It’s a story that sounds very familiar.

Obi-Wan gets out his notebook and yes, here it is. From the moment he learned to write (and he learned early, for exactly this purpose) he had written down every vision, every dream that left him shaking. Every time someone left him with a bad taste in his mouth. All the certainity about places, times, people. 

He told people, he really did. But for some reason, nobody likes to be warned of their impending death. He has a nice little table here, with date, age and method, filled in as they happened. And others still to happen. Like Qui-Gon, who would be stabbed with a red lightsaber. By a Sith, as the traveler tells it.

There is talk of an army of Clones, and Obi-Wan understands why he’s dreaming of rain, cold and storms all the time. Why learning Mando’a had seemed so _important_ at the time.

When they speak of the temple slaughter, the travelers voice breaks. But Obi-Wan doesn’t have to hear it. He knows where each body will lie. How many shots it will take to kill each of them. 

Obi-Wan isn’t all that surprised when it turns out that he apparently spent 20 years in the desert. Not when he remembers being ten years old and developing a sudden obsession with farming on desert planets.

The traveler’s tale comes to an end. Obi-Wan still hopes, _prays_ , that they are joking. Because it is all here, written down. Obi-Wan told them again and again. But “the future is always in motion” and “it doesn’t do to dwell on dreams, padawan”. He warned them, and they didn’t listen. Not to him, though they will listen to a traveler back in time. Who tells them of a future past, that they could have prevented.

Obi-Wan is sure his dreams will change now. But he doesn’t know if they will still contain his place in the Jedi Order.


	17. Blade of Gold 1 - Red, Blue and Gold

Blue lightsabers are used by the Jedi, whereas red is a Sith’s blade.

These truths are not written in stone, however. A Jedi may fall and use their blue blade to kill the innocent. A Sith might yet put aside their hatred to console a child.

The Jedi use colors other than blue, of course. There is green, yellow, orange and even others. The rarest of those is gold.

It is said that those wielding a golden blade are truly centered in the light and will never fall. To really use a golden lightsaber, to be _worthy_ of it, you need to be highly skilled in the fighting arts. But the Jedi have forgotten why.

It used to be that the Jedi of Gold, strong in the light, were the ones to bring justice to the dark. The ones to hunt those that brought harm, Sith and fallen Jedi both. The last light in a darksiders eyes was a golden glow.

The golden-bladed Jedi were always the ones to go into the dark and come out again unscathed. But before they became hunters, they were hope. They were the hand that pulled you out of the well. They were the smile that promised you a future away from killing. They were skilled enough to best you in combat without killing you. They were strong enough in the light that there was no danger of you pulling them down with you. They were the chance of a safe return, for if a Jedi of Gold spoke for you, no one would dare touch you with revenge in their mind.

But the Jedi forgot hope and sought vengance. And as the Sith disappeared, so did the golden crystals, their purpose lost in time.

It is now that Obi-Wan Kenobi and his padawan Anakin Skywalker return to the temple after the battle of Geonosis, and both of them need to rebuild their lightsabers. 

Deep in the bowels of the temple, where no Jedi has tread in centuries or maybe even millenia, there rests a single crystal, waiting to have a purpose again. And it flickers golden in the light.


	18. Infinity Dreams

Jango Fett isn’t Force-sensitive, but he’s not exactly a null either.

And so his clones, each and every one of them, carry that same spark inside them. It’s not enough to reach for the Force, not enough to really do anything with it, but it’s _something_. 

And the vode are trained to work together from the moment they can walk. They don’t have a childhood, they have practise, and danger, and pain. And it’s like kindling on the spark.

The Force isn’t necessary to be strong, to be powerful, but it can make things easier. And all children reach for it, with dreams, belief, imagination, before they are taught not to believe in miracles. It is the same for the vode, and combined with their need to succeed, their minds twirl together, and the spark turns into flame.

Alone, a clone can not reach the Force, but none of them are ever alone. Together, their Force can reach the stars. Together, they may dream of infinity. Together, their sparks are an inferno.


	19. Kindness is a Choice

Jedi in general are cold-hearted, aloof bastards, Anakin thinks. Sitting in their temple, removed from the world, while there are children starving and slaves dying.

Then he hits the reality of politics. The Jedi order is funded by the Senate, and as long as some rich, corrupt senator can profit from slavery, there will be no funds to free the slaves. Anakin, or any other Jedi, can’t save everyone. There are not enough of them, and they lack the money and the authority, anyway.

Instead, the Jedi are very accomplished in making do with what they have. They can’t stop poverty, but they can make sure this family eats today. There is no healing all wounds and winning all battles, but these wounds can be healed, at least.

One might despair at the hopelessness of it all adn decide that it’s not their problem, anyway. That the service to the republic is more important than bringing a smile to a childs face. But the Jedi choose to be kind, instead. And the galaxy shines brighter for it.


	20. Songbird

When Padme was younger, she loved to sing. Then she got older, became a Queen and a Sentor, and her song got rare. She had other things to do, a duty to fulfill, a wrong to right. The last time she sang, it was her wedding day. She remembers well Anakins astonished delight, the happy smile and how he’d looked at her like she was the most beautiful person in the world.

These days, with the war and his men dying every day, Anakin rarely smiles anymore. He still looks at her like she is the most important person in the galaxy, but the expression in his eyes has changed. Gotten harder. Mor unforgiving.

They had known from the start that being together would be difficult. That they’ll have to hide. But that didn’t prepare Padme for the hidden anger in Anakin’s eyes whenever she so much as smiles at another man. Or for the fact that after their summer romance has passed, they are actually quite different people, with opinions that sometimes contradict. 

Anakin is difficult at times, uncompromising. Padme doesn’t want to waste the precious time they have together with arguing. But she still does, sometimes, when she doesn’t want to believe the things her husband is saying. And then is reminded of the night he went out to find his mother…

 _Find a man who makes you sing_ , her mother told her. And Padme wonders.


	21. Blade of Gold 2 - The Color Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to 'Red, Blue and Gold' (Chapter 17)

Obi-Wan looks at the Zabrak…what was his name? Darth Maul. The one he cut in half and left for dead. But apparently the Sith are made from sterner stuff. And now here they are again, Sith and Jedi, with Obi-Wan helpless at Masul’s feet.

Obi-Wan slowly gets up and pulls out his _other_ lightsaber. Made in secrecy while Anakin was escorting Sentor Amidala to Naboo. He’d heard a whisper in the night and followed it to its source deep in the temple. A single golden lightsaber crystal, with an aura of _possibility_ around it. For some reason, Obi-Wan has never told anyone about it. The 212th know, of course, it’s saved their lives more than once. But they’d followed his lead and never mentioned it to another soul.

Now, Obi-Wan stands here. He ignites the blade and golden light illuminates the gloom. The Sith in front of him feels wrong. He is kept together only by hate, by some kind of dark magic. And Obi-Wan is sure that no matter what happens next, on the Sith’s path waits only misery. Unless…

Obi-Wan stands here with his blade of gold, his opponent shrouded in darkness, and knows he must make a choice.


	22. I know you can't sleep

It’s a well-known fact in the 212th that General Kenobi just never sleeps. He’ll catch a couple of hours, here and there, after days awake, but even this is frequently interrupted by nightmares. With being in charge of what feels like the entire war effort, he simply doesn’t have the time. Commander Cody can be frequently found cursing in the general direction of the High Council for giving his general so much shit to do, while simultaniously bitching at said general to go to sleep, please, now.

What his troopers appericate, however, is that no matter how busy Kenobi is at the moment, he always finds the time to listen to their concerns, to sit with them if they in turn are plagued by nightmares. That their General sometimes falls asleep squashed between his troopers in a giant cuddle pile is just a matter of course for them.

Their General can’t sleep, and if they aren’t protecting him on the battlefield, they take care of him off the field. A cup of tea, delivered by the brother on night watch duty into his general’s hands. A datapad, taken from shaking fingers, to be worked on by a brother with both the time and the aptitude, so his general can rest, even if he still won’t sleep. Their general bears a burden, and while they can not take it from him, they can carry him instead.


	23. Blade of Gold 3 - The Color Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A sequel to chapters 17 and 21.

When she had still been a child, Asajj Ventress had imagined her first visit to the Jedi temple something like this: Master Narec would introduce her to the Council as his padawan, and she would be accepted among the other Jedi. She would find friends and not have to fight for her own survival anymore.

Instead, she had walked inside the temple with Kenobi, to his left and behind (the padawan’s position, how strangely ironic), there had been stares and whispers and even one enterprising soul who’d raised their lightsaber and had tried to strike at her. Kenobi had raised his golden lightsaber in her defense, catching the strike before it could fall. He hadn’t said a word, he’d just _looked_ , and it had been enough to make the Jedi back off.

_She’d had him beat, he’d lost his lightsaber and she was about to kill him, she was sure. But then he’d pulled out a second lightsaber, with a golden blade, and he had proceeded to show her that she might be good, but he was better. When she’d lain in front of him, with his blade at her throat, he looked at her questioningly. Then he’d shut off his saber and instead offered her his hand and asked: “This darkness, this hate and pain, do you really still want it?”_

_She had thought of the uncertainty, how she’d believed Dooku cared for her, and how instead she was betrayed. She thought of her life, how there always was more death. She’d remembered a Jedi Knight, who’d smiled at her and protected and taught her. “No, I don’t”, she’d answered and took his hand. And felt safe again._

Just like she had imagined Master Narec would do, Kenobi had brought her in front of the Council. 

“Masters, here is one who has found the path back to the Light”, he’d introduced her, “I have brought her here to guide and protect her, so she will not stumble again.”

She had sensed that some Masters wanted to protest, but Kenobi’s conviction had shone like a beacon in the Force, and they didn’t. 

Here they are now, deep inside the temple, in the crystal cave, to build a new lightsaber for her. But no crystal will heed her call, no matter what she does. She feels _wrong_ , it doesn’t work, she might as well just leave again. Kenobi sits across from Asajj in full lotus. “Let it go, Asajj. Don’t let the hate control you. Feel the security of the Force, and let it guide you.”

Asajj closes her eyes, and feels. Like a golden river, the Force swirles around her. And there is Kenobi, bathed in the Light, but not blinding or burning, like other Jedi often are. His is the warmth of a hearthfire, an aura of protection and maybe even home. Asajj wrappes it around her like a blanket and feels safe. She calls again, her thoughts of a future without killing and pain.

“Oh, well done”, Kenobi says. Asajj opens her eyes again and in her hands is a lightsaber crystal, sparkling in the pale blue of the morning sky.


	24. Thought You Knew

“Obi-Wan, for how long exactly have you been sleeping with Rex?”, Anakin asked his former Master. He had caught them during the last night-cycle when he went into Obi-Wan’s quarters to ask him something and there they had been, snogging. Obi-Wan had had the gall to shove him out with the Force and lock the door. Now, Anakin wanted answers.

Obi-Wan blinked. “Since..you know, I’m not really sure. A couple of months into the war.”

“And you didn’t _tell_ me?” Anakin was incensed. He thought Obi-Wan was his friend, but apparently he’d been wrong. Friends told each other these things. _Like you told him about Padmé?_ his concience whispered. Anakin squashed it ruthlessly. That was different.

“I honestly thought you knew. We haven’t been quite as obvious as you and Padme, I know, but given that I’ve been getting smirks and nudges from basically every Jedi I met I didn’t consider that you wouldn’t realize it.” Obi-Wan told him, looking and sounding rather confused.

Wait, _what_? Anakin’s head was spinning. They had been obvious? Obi-Wan knew about him and Padme? Did _other_ Jedi know as well? But they had been so _discreet_. Then he noticed another detail: Obi-Wan always called Padmé ‘Senator Amidala’. “Why are you referring to Padmé by her first name?” 

Obi-Wan somehow managed to look even more confused. “I always do when not in official capacity. Anakin, you _do_ realize we’ve been friends since we met?”

No, Anakin hadn’t realized that. “Just, _how_ did you become friends?”

“Well, during the first mission where we met, there was mutual kvetching about Qui-Gon. Then later I was sent to observe when the new Queen of Naboo was sworn into office. You know, the mission you weren’t allowed to join, because you managed to set the droid depository on fire with your experiments?”, Obi-Wan got a reminiscent smile on his face. “Now, that was a rather relaxing mission. Padmé is a rather fun person to be around, don’t you agree?”

Was Obi-Wan implying what Anakin thought he was implying? Then he remembered. “You had an unexpected delay in your return to the temple. Were you and Padmé…?”

“’Unexpected delay’ is Jedi code for ‘found a companion I would like to spend some time with’, yes”, Obi-Wan nodded, “As always in the Order, it is understood and never talked about, unless brought up by the Jedi - or companion - in question. Private life is supposed to be private after all.”

Anakin had to sit down. Just how many things was he missing because he didn’t pay enough attention? 


	25. HondObi - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to chapter 13.  
> Prompt: What exactly does Obi-Wan do in that? It doesn't seem like he's still a Jedi.

Obi-Wan listend to Fett’s propsal, growing more and more disgusted by the minute. When Fett fell silent, it took all of his self control to prevent himself from screaming at the man, he didn’t need to draw attention to this part of the cantina. Not with the item currently residing in the inside pocket of his coat. Instead, he answered calmly: “No.”

“No? Kenobi, you are one of the Best, and the pay is considerable. Why would you refuse this offer?” Fett asked incredulously.

“Because you’re asking me to help you train a clone army. For the Republic. Do you know the rights of cloned sentients? Because I do. You’re setting up thousands of sentient beings to be slaves. Born and trained to die for the Republic, and die they will, in whatever war they will be used. I refuse to be involved in slavery of any kind.” This time, Obi-Wan didn’t quite manage to keep the disgust out of his voice. Across from him, Jango looked striken. Obviously, he hadn’t fully considered the ramifications of that _project_ he’d gotten involved in.

Obi-Wan got up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a delivery to make and an asshole to shoot. Be seeing you.” He turned to leave, but couldn’t help but deliver a parting shot: “And Fett? The next time we meet, it’ll be as mere acquaintances. I don’t sleep with slavers.”

 

“Here you are, my Lady. With compliments of Isa Nerim.” Obi-Wan handed the wrapped package over to the lady sitting in the chair in front of him and gave a small bow. Old habits die hard, and all that. She pulled the black velvet away to look at the item inside. 

“This is most satisfactory, Mister Kenobi, your fee will be transferred into your account momentarily.” She got up. “Will you be staying on the planet long?”

“Only until tomorrow, I’m afraid. I have another contract to fulfill, but then I will leave immediately”, he answered. She didn’t need to know that the “contract“ involved a hundred thousand credit bounty on the local crime boss.

“I see. If you would call here again before you leave the planet, I might have another job for you, concerning a safe delivery of a certain object to Alderaan.” Obi-Wan bowed again and left. Of course she did. Nobles never run out of items, messages or secrets they needed delivered securely and discreetly. Obi-Wan wasn’t sue how he’d ended up as a high-level courier, but it payed well and gave him access to a lot of dirty secrets, so he wasn’t complaining all that much.


	26. Dance (Like There's Nothing to Lose)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS FOR: slavery, mention of forced prostitution, abuse

Slavery, Obi-Wan reflected, was a multi-faceted thing. You were always at the mercy of your master, sure, but how was always different. He’d started out in the mines of Bandomeer, where mistakes earned you pain. Then he’d hit puberty and with it came what his masters called ‘beauty’ and they had noticed his ‘natural grace of movement‘ (thank you old initiate training) and had decided that he was wasted in the mines. There was training, in dancing and singing once his voice had stopped breaking, his body young and nimble and desirable. Lucky for him - was it lucky, really? - he didn’t have any noticable scars. The one he had, on his hip where he’d fallen and the wound had gotten infected, was easily disguised with a tattoo that he’d consider beautiful if he had chosen it for himself. A vine, winding up from his leg over his hip-bone and his side and ending on his shoulder blade, shimmering golden in the light (an experimental ink, of course, who cared if a slave was in pain or died).

And now here he was, not even twenty standard years old, dancing until he couldn’t anymore. If he made a mistake now, the punishment would be less food (still enough to keep him going, but not enough to really still his hunger). At the moment, he was perfect, young and beautiful. One day, if the pay was high enough or he made one mistake too many, his body would be used in other ways to make money, he knew. But not yet. Now, he danced freely, his long braided hair reflecting the stagelight, tattoo shimmering. He was dancing like it’s his greatest joy, like he had nothing to loose, like there wasn’t pain in his future.


	27. It was totally planned that way

“Cody, I have a very serious question. How the fuck did all of this happen?” Rex asked his vod, gesturing around. They were laying in bed, Obi-Wan asleep between them. In bed in Obi-Wan’s quarters, he might add.

“I think ‘how the fuck’ is your answer, actually”, Cody replied, grinning. “And also I’m awesome at planning.”

“Like hell you are.” Rex poked Cody in the ribs, where he knew Cody was ticklish. It might be less confusing if their relationship had been something planned, but instead it just had sort of… _happened_.

He and Cody had always been a thing, first best friends and later adding sex and romance into the mix. Then the war had started and they had met General Kenobi. Cody’s partner in puns, and object of Rex’s fantasies concerning that smile. Cody had developed the habit of carrying Kenobi around and into his quarters once the man got loopy from sleep-deprivation. Rex had told Cody that if the opportunity arose, he wouldn’t mind if Cody and Obi-Wan found some mutual comfort. Kenobi, it turned out, was quite easy-going concerning casual hookups, and so it became a regular occurrence, with either two or all three of them. 

But then, slowly, there had been more than just physical attraction, more than “friends with benefits”, as Kenobi had called it. One evening, while through a minor miracle they were all in one place while having down-time, talk had come about the future. Obi-Wan had said, very quietly “I have no right to either of you, I know. But I would really like it if you would stay with me once the war is over.”

For Cody and Rex the feeling of romantic love was still new and confusing and exciting. Obi-Wan’s question had made them sit down and really figure out what exactly they were feeling. And what they had decided, both separately and together, that staying with Obi-Wan in the long term was something they both wanted. To be the ones he came back to (if they couldn’d accompany him on his missions), the ones he woke up with (that adorable bed head), to help him take care of his future padawans. They had told Obi-Wan, they had spoken the vows, and the smile they had gotten in return was the most beautiful of all.

And now, here they were, and the future was just beginning.


	28. In the Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS FOR: mentions of torture

Darth Vader watches silent and unmoving as Darth Sidious tortures the prisoner, just as he always does. The man’s screams have gotten hoarse with time, red hair and beard grown long in captivity. The blue eyes, always so full of life before, are dull now, almost dead. Darth Vader knows that the prisoner has reached his breaking point now.

Vader is aware that as a Sith apprentice, he is something of a disappointment. Darth Sidious had wanted power, and ambition, and a thirst for _more_ , but ever since Padmé’s death everything just seems pointless. Only the thought of revenge had kept him going, to repay his former Master for the pain he suffers now all the time. ~~For not killing him~~. But Sidious’ other agents had been faster than him.

And now the Emperor has a new toy to play with. A man who lost everything he held dear, and yet kept going. Much more interesting than the broken man Vader is. Sidious is taking one of the last remaining Jedi and systematically stripping away everything he his. Love, compassion, kindness, conviction. And then remaking him, different, new and terrifying.

 ~~Anakin~~ Vader only wishes he will have time to say sorry before the end. Because once Sidious’ work is done, the blue eyes turned to amber, the chains will fall, Obi-Wan will be renamed as a Sith, and there will be no mercy, no last words. Only silence, And in the silence, only death.


	29. Of Green Things and Broken Dreams

Anakin had believed from the moment he met Qui-Gon Jinn that he wanted to become a Jedi Knight. And he had become the man’s padawan, his dream within reach. But being a Jedi had turned out to be quite different than he’d imagined. The picture of a Jedi, swooping in to save the day, being all powerful and infallible, was replaced by new virtues: Self-control, obedience, serenity, non-attachment. Anakin wasn’t sure anymore if this was really the path he wanted to walk on. But still, it had felt like such an achievement to be named a senior padawan.

Master Qui-Gon and Anakin were on a mission to Galdiraan, mediating a trade settlement. To their surprise, they were not the only members of the Jedi Order on the planet. The conflict had destroyed the fields and gardens of the population to such an extent that it necessitated an intervention of the AgriCorps, who had sent three of it’s members, two of them fully trained and their student. 

Watching them interact with each other and the people of Galdiraan, Anakin was reminded of his childish dreams about the Jedi. The AgriCorps Members… what were their names again? Serali, Kenobi, and Fessk? Something like that. Anyway, they were not serene and standoffish at all. They joked around, challenged each other to stupid stunts and in general were much more lively. 

When they celebrated the Harvest Festival, after which both Jedi and AgriCorps would leave the planet, the latter were the ones who were asked to dance with the farmers. The ones who shared lingering touches and kisses as the night grew long. Anakin reminded himself firmly that Jedi were not supposed to feel jealous. But he did anyway. And for the first time, he realized that he had never been given a choice, that it had been Jedi padawan or nothing. Maybe there was still time to change something. Making green things grow seemed suddenly much more appealing than running around playing diplomat and stabbing things.


	30. Dear Agony

Pain means that you are still alive.

Pain can also mean, sometimes, that you wish you weren’t alive, still.

Obi-Wan is familiar with both sensations intimately. The sudden adrenaline rush that makes you live through yet another fight. The numbing pain that is brought by unfathomable loss.

He has a padawan to take care of, young, impressionable, afraid Anakin, who is nevertheless so full of life, full of energy that it makes Obi-Wan’s heart ache sometimes. It was Qui-Gon’s dying wish that Anakin be trained. And Obi-Wan had agreed, pushing his own doubts and misgivings aside. For Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan will stand against the will of the entire temple, and he will never let Anakin know how much it hurts. And he tries, Force does he try, but sometimes he would rather curl up and be still, and _not be_ for a while.

Life is for living. Every Jedi strives to put their grief aside, for they are all part of the Force. How it’s supposed to work, Obi-Wan isn’t sure. There is Qui-Gon’s favorite cup in the cupboard. There is the small sketch Obi-Wan made for his master during some much needed breathing time after the mission on Mandalore. There are a thousand small memories all around him.

There is supposed to be time for grieving, so breathe the pain and release it into the Force. Obi-Wan doesn’t have that time. Anakin is clinging to him like to a life line, an in a way he is. The only one to accept him, to welcome him. The Council never hides the doubt they still have in the whole situation, and both Anakin and Obi-Wan have to prove themselves over and over again through the years. And so Obi-Wan carries the pain around, it is his constant companion, sweet memory and painful reminder both.

What Qui-Gon will tell him many years later, once he has joined the Force, is that death does not mean the pain stops.


	31. Grandma Kenobi 2 - Gran Knows Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grandma Kenobi was first mentioned in Chapter 12

Once a child was given to the Jedi Order, they stopped all contact with their birth families. Or so Qui-Gon had thought, anyway. But it seemed that if your birth family included Delilah Kenobi, the Kingmaker herself, there were some favors called in and the child in question had regular contact with his family.

After Melida/Daan, there had been a polite request for Qui-Gon to take his padawan for a visit to his grandparents. As soon as they had arrived, Obi-Wan was whisked away by his grandfather while Qui-Gon was subjected to a firm tongue-lashing by the infamous spy, who had some opinions about leaving her grandson on a war-torn planet. Then he was told in no uncertain terms that Obi-Wan would learn from his grandparents for a while, since Qui-Gon was obviously incapable of taking care of Obi-Wan’s needs.

 

Delilah watched her grandson perform the fan dance. Just as she had expected, Obi-Wan had the grace of a dancer, and the precision of an artist. And he had taken to her lessons in unconventional weaponry like a fish to water. Honestly, what use was twirling a fan if you didn’t know how to kill (or at least disarm) someone with it.

Already Obi-Wan knew how to choose his words wisely, to use them to cut or to soothe. Delilah would hone that skill until he was able to end a war or start a fight with a single sentence. She would show him how to present himself, to choose his clothing and manners in a way to fit any situation. How to lie and to recognize the hidden truths. How to kill without leaving a trace and how to take a thing without notice. All she knew, she would teach him.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was her grandson, and he would be her legacy.


	32. In Poetry Never Written

Growing up on Kamino, raised towards a singular purpose, is unique. Their progenitor and their trainers are mandalorian, and to some extent they are as well. But the clones of the GAR have their own culture as well.

As there is rarely any sun on Kamino, the times it can actually be seen are treated almost…reverent. Once the vode start choosing their own names, it becomes a celebration. After all, they do not have birthdays. But here it is “Look, I’m a person, an individual”, even if it is kept very quiet, to a squad at first and only later the name spreads out to their other brothers. Then there is their own private language, composed entirely of body movement. Their faces are hidden after all, and so they communicate by headtilts, rolled shoulders and shifted weight.

Once the war starts and they get exposed to new ideas, their own culture gets more nuanced. The battalions take on mannerisms from their Jedi (some more than others), both the people they save and those they can’t bring them new ideas, and it all blends together into a whole.

What stands out, what makes them different, is that their individuality stays entirely hidden. The words they speak in remembrance of their fallen brothers, the quiet songs they sing on the dawn of a battle, there is a well of songs here, of poetry and art. Some of them dream of a future where they won’t have to hide it, where they will stand tall as their own people, independent of the rule of others.

Instead, the Chancellor announces Order 66, and it is all lost. The voices that sang fall silent, the hands that drew fall limp. And the poetry that spoke of hope is never written.


	33. Light Remains 1 - A Single Light (Lit the Night)

According to the official story, the Jedi Order was completely wiped out with Order 66. This is, however, not entirely accurate.

Some initates made a game of exploring the lower levels of the temple, where older Jedi rarely ever went. When the killing started, they grabbed all they could and disappeared below. Hidden close to the planet’s surface, they were aided by the inhabitants of the lower levels, most of whom had fond memories of the Jedi. And they lived and grew.

There were Knights, Masters and Padawans undercover in the galaxy. After Order 66, they disappeared their records wiped from the archive, a last defiant act by Master Jocasta Nu before her death.

Some of the Jedi in the field, who were shot down by their men, got lucky and did not die. They were left for dead and eventually they recovered. Aided by the population of the planet they were on, or helped by a Clone with a defective chip, or even all on their own, they all lived to fight another day.

You can remove a Jedi from their Order, but you can’t take the Jedi out of the person. After all, being a Jedi means more than using the Force and having a fancy lightsaber swing. It is a way of being, of acting, and all good Jedi are pathologically incapable of not taking action. Eventually they all find each other. They take note of the larger enclaves of survivors, who all get found and slaughtered by Darth Vader sooner or later. To prevent this, they stay apart and meet only rarely.

When the only tool you have is the Force, you will figure out how to use it well, and the new Jedi have a number of new abilities the old Jedi would have called impossible or even dark. But at least they know how to hide themselves and their presence. How to communicate over long distances without being dependent on technology. With each new technique they discover, their survival is more assured.

To be a Jedi in the Empire means to be mobile. None of them stay in one place for long. They help where they can, to heal, to help with the harvest, to mediate a conflict. And then they move on. Towards a new planet and a new problem.

As the Emperor searches for force-sensitive children to twist to his purpose, so do the Jedi search for those children to protect him. As a searcher finds a child, they teach them how to stay hidden. A child may only fully join the new Order once they are able to shoulder the danger and resposibility that comes with being a Jedi in these times.

Even though the Jedi themselves never stay in one place for long, they have friends and allies all over the galaxy. Safe houses, hiding places, ways to change ones identity as easy as changing clothes. It’s a well known and never talked about secret, that on some planets there are hidden Jedi Masters. They will offer protection or teaching as required, but more importantly they keep save whatever written knowledge is left.

It’s well understood that now is not the time to act against the Empire, but eventually the time will come for the Jedi to return. In the meantime, there are some Jedi who make sure that once the time comes, there will no chance for them to falter again.

The Jedi Order may not be as strong as it had been, but its members are more grounded, more certain of themselves and their purpose. And each of them is a Light in the Darkness.


	34. Blade of Gold 4 - The Color Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New part for Blade Of Gold (chapters 17, 21, 23)

“Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?” asked a voice. Darth Sidious looked up from the cloning tank he was inspecting, his eyes moving towards the dark corner it had come from. There had been strange readings coming from it, so he had come to check up on his clones, and mybe even start making new ones. He had thought himself to be entirely alone, nobody knew about this place. But apparently he had been mistaken. Sidious resolved to increase the security once he had dealt with his visitor.

A Jedi stepped slowly into the middle of the room and pulled back his hood. Kenobi! Sidious had not considered him a threat, apart from his constant interference with Skywalker. Kenobi was soft, sparing his enemies instead of killing them, bringing them into the Light, giving them his trust and protection without so much as a backwards glance. Eventually they would all return to the Dark, Sidious was certain. What had the Light to offer them, after all? But if Kenobi was able to find this place, maybe there was more to the Jedi than met the eye.

“Master Kenobi”, he announced, “have you come to offer me mercy, as well?”

“I’m afraid not. You see, there are certain people I promised my protection. They will never feel truly safe while you live, and as long as they’re afraid, the Dark has a hold on them. I will not sacrifice their wellbeing on the offchance that you truly repent your actions”, Kenobi answered and pulled out his lightsaber. So he thought he could kill him. Fool.

“What makes you think you could kill me?”, Sidious asked. He moved away from the tank, into a position that was easier to maneuver in a fight.

“What do you think helped me find this place? The Force, of course. Once you figure out how to truly listen, it will tell you all sorts of interesting things. About clones without a spirit, about those little hidden holorecorders you hid in here. You little scheme with the control chips. This is the day it will all end”, Kenobi replied, ignited the blade and golden light filled the laboratory.

Sidious ignited his own lightsaber, enraged. How dare this little maggod interfere? All the work, the years of patience, so close to the final act. He would make him pay! 

Across from him, Kenobi took a deep breath and raised his blade. They ran towards each other, and Red met Gold.


	35. Sleepsong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tolkien crossover - sort of

> _Sleeps a song in all things ringing,_  
>  Lost in dreams and still unheard.  
> And the world goes forth in singing,  
> Once you find the magic word  
>  - Joseph von Eichendorff 

In the beginning, the world was sung into being by the Ainur. It was said among the Vanyar that if you knew how to listen for it, you could still hear the song echo among all things and beings. And still, there was power in a song, if you mastered how to use it. If you knew a person’s song, what men would later call a ‘soul’, you could use it to influence them. But after the darkening of Valinor, few ever took the time to listen and fewer still had the skill of true song. What followed then is known already. Eventually the elves faded from the world, the hobbits and dwarfs hid away and were lost, and only men still walked upon the earth. The power of song was forgotten.

Many years later, the race of men reached the stars where they again found other sentients. And some of those people had a very singular power. What men only knew from legend and called magic, others knew how to use and called it the Force. At last there were humans who used the Force as well, but they still did not connect it to the half forgotten stories of the song that made the world.

Here and now, in the garden of a thousand fountains, sits Anakin Skywalker. Passing Jedi assume he’s meditating, and in a sense he is. But if you asked Anakin himself, he would tell you he is listening. For through the world flows a song, and it is beautiful.


	36. Someone to Believe

As Obi-Wan Kenobi’s 13th birthday got closer and closer, he was getting more and more desperate. One Jedi after the other had rejected him as a padawan and his only hope lay now in the rumors that Master Qui-Gon Jinn would return to the temple in time for the exhibition duel.

“Worry not, you should”, Yoda told him, “a Master for you there will be.”

“Yes, Master. I’m meant to be Jedi, I am certain. I’m just not sure if Master Jinn will agree.” Obi-Wan tried very hard to keep the doubt out of his voice. Why should Master Jinn be different, after so many others had already told him no. At a nudge from the Force he looked up and found an older human Jedi standing in the archway that led to the small alcove Master Yoda had chosen for their chat. “I see you have a visitor, Master. Should we continue our talk later?”

“Yes, youngling. Classes you have, now”, Yoda agreed and Obi-Wan bowed to both Jedi, taking great care to keep his form perfect.

 

Dooku looked after the initiate, feeling deeply conflicted. He had sworn to himself that he wouldn’t take another padawan, but there was something about this one...

“Who was that?” he asked his old Master while settling on the seat across from Yoda.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, that was”, Yoda replied. “Close to aging out, he is, but very capable. Hopes I have, for him to become Qui-Gon’s padawan.”

Dooku felt his unease increase. He wasn’t stupid, he knew what they said about his old padawan. _Broken_. His capability of teaching had come into question more that once. “What can you tell me about the young one?”

“Good fighter, he is. Cares about others, he does deeply. But insecure about himself, too. His emotions, they control him easily. A stronger ability with the Force, I have seen rarely.” Master Yoda didn’t have favorites, everyone knew. But it was clear from the old Master’s voice that young Kenobi was one of them.

“And strong in the Unifying Force, too, from what I noticed”, Dooku mused. The speed in which the youngling had noticed him had been remarkable. He was usually too well hidden to be noticed easily. Master Yoda sounded certain of himself, but he uttered his worry, regardless. “Would Qui-Gon be capable of teaching one as him? With his recent problems he has become far less tolerant of anothers point of view.”

Yoda sounded smug. “Good for Qui-Gon, it will be, to take care for another again. Learn to be moore considerate, he will.”

Dooku understood now. “You mean to use the child to heal the adult. It seems to me, Master, that you have not given thought to the damage Qui-Gon might do to the youngling.” He stood up and turned to leave. Their linage might be a bit unstable, but he would not stand for an innocent being caught in the crossfire. “I see you have forgotten to consider people’s feelings in your schemes again, Master. Let me rectify that.”

“Take him on yourself, you plan to?” Yoda asked, surprised.

“I’ll certainly speak to young Kenobi first, but I don’t see why not. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an initiate to find.”


	37. Like the Sea

You’d have to be insane to sail on the sea in the middle of the storm. But there are still young sailors who disregard all warnings and try regardless. Most of them get pulled under and only very rarely is someone there to fish them back out.

The Force is like the sea. In the Light it is calm, bathing in it is refreshing and moving through it is not dangerous if you know how to swim. (If you can’t swim, you will still sink, a fact many Jedi forget.) In the Dark, the waves are high, the storm blows you across the water. Only if you are skilled will you weather the storm, or even harness it. (But no matter how skilled, you’re still at the storm’s mercy. The Sith in their hubris disregard this.)

The problem for a fallen Jedi is never the Dark itself. It’s more that moving through calm weather for their entire lives, they are unprepared for the fierceness on the storm. They sink under the waves, and the sea throws them around, they are entirely at its mercy. Jedi Masters will shake their heads and tell you that they have become twisted by the dark. But they are not twisted, merely without a lifeline until they learn to weather the storm.

The Sith never experience the calm. They start their training on rough water. They feel the wild winds on their skin and revel in them. The Force is a tool that they must conquer before they can use it. They cannot imagine that the Force may be quiet, that it may bring comfort, and so they look down on the Jedi for not knowing how to deal with the wild sea.

Before the schism, you simply learned about the sea. You were taught how to swim and dive through the calm, clear water and find many hidden treasures at the bottom. You were warned about the storms, of course, but at the same time you learned how to deal with them, so they would not harm you. Given time, maybe, Jedi and Sith might again learn from each other, and sail all of the sea regardless of location and weather.


	38. HondObi - Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of chapters 13 and 25 (Hondo/Obi-Wan)
> 
> Prompt: Maybe one of them gets into some trouble and needs a bail out? They both have enemies after all.

_Don’t drink it._ The voice echoed through Hondo’s mind just as he raised the glass. Not letting the surprise show on his face, he slowly pretended to take drink.  Now that he was paying proper attention, he noticed the small smile of satisfaction on the Lasat sitting across from him.  Well, so much for a friendly game of Sabacc. This was the last time he went into the next cantina to celebrate a profitable haul. Around him, some of his men slowly slumped from their chairs, dead or asleep, he couldn’t tell. Hondo’s hand went to his blaster, his people sitting up and paying attention. Hondo was about to give the signal to fight, or flee, he wasn’t sure, when the tip of a dagger suddenly emerged from his opponents throat.

“Your first mistake was making the Pykes angry”, Obi-Wan whispered in the dying alien’s ear, “Your second mistake was trying your little scam on one of _mine_.” The cantina was dead silent. Everyone but Hondo was too far away to recognize the person under the hood. All they saw was a cloaked figure, wearing some variation of the traditional mandalorian beskar’gam, who had just stabbed the local crime boss. Obi-Wan could look really damn scary if he wanted, but suddenly appearing from the shadows right in the middle of the cantina and killing their boss was something else entirely.

“Now”, Obi-Wan continued in that dark voice that made shivers run down Hondo’s spine, “I only have a bounty for this asshole here and I don’t like senseless killing. But I know your faces and I hope you won’t give me any trouble. For your sake. Now get out.” After the mad scramble for the exit had subsided, Obi-Wan pulled down his hood. “Hello, Hondo.”

“Hello, dear. Not that I don’t appreciate the help, but what exactly are you doing here?” Hondo asked. Obi-Wan nudged the Lasat’s corpse with his foot.

“This one had the brilliant idea of taking on pirate groups where they wouldn’t expect it. Project the idea of friendly territory, and once their guard is down, kill them and steal their cargo. It was bound to piss off someone important. And where there are important people pissed off, there are bounties to collect”, Obi-Wan replied.

“This calls for a drink!” Hondo exclaimed and went towards the bar. As unpleasant as the whole affair might be, Hondo never let bad things keep him down for long. Also, Obi-Wan was here, and that was always a cause for celebration. When he looked up from pouring drinks for everyone, he saw Obi-Wan smiling at him with a fond look on his face. Whatever else happened, Obi-Wan only ever smiled at him like that.


	39. Totally planned 2 - You, Me and Obi-Wan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tie-in with "It was totally planned that way" (chapter 27).

Cody and Rex were watching their lover conducting yet another negotiation. It was almost perverse, how Obi-Wan had to argue with their allies just as much as with their enemies. That you honestly had to explain to the Senators that, no, they couldn’t just take food from the planets they landed on, because war-ravaged people had the tendency to be starving.

Between the negotiations and the near constant fighting, Obi-Wan rarely had time to rest. Even if they officially had leave on Coruscant, Obi-Wan in his position as member of the Jedi High Council was swimming in a constant stream of invitations, meetings and summons, barely managing to keep afloat. Of course, Rex and Cody wouldn’t just let him shoulder this responsibility alone. One of them stayed with the troops, while the other followed their Jedi around like a silent shadow whenever possible. It was worth it, giving Obi-Wan a shoulder to lean on in the precious minutes between all of his appointments. And now that asshole senator had to interrupt the one time Obi-Wan had reserved for his troops, to listen to their concerns and problems.

“Do you think we could get away with kidnapping him?” Rex asked Cody.

“Probably. But you know Obi-Wan’s sense of duty. _He_ won’t let us get away with it.” Cody replied. “But after the war, we’re kriffing taking a holiday. The karking Jedi council can figure their stuff out on their own, for a change.”

Rex turned to look at Obi-Wan. Others probably wouldn’t notice the faint tremble in Obi-Wan, but Rex did. “It really is about time he’s getting some proper rest. A nice retreat on Naboo. You, me and Obi-Wan.”


	40. Light Remains 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Light Remains Prompt: Can we get a snippet of those first few hours/days? The children going below the temple. The Jedi on the far reaches of the galaxy. Those undercover who won't be able to come home anymore... 
> 
> The first part of Light Remains is in chapter 33, "A Single Light (Lit the Night)"

They felt them coming. With the death of Master Windu and the spread of darkness across Coruscant, they knew. The end was coming.

Fessk balanced the toddler on his hip, leading his friends Elon and Naruhir and a slew of other younglings towards the lower levels of the Temple. Ever since he’d _known_ , the last time Master Kenobi was at the temple, that he’d be a padawan soon, he was preparing. He had explored the lower levels, the abandoned rooms and dark corridors, because all the best Jedi were those who knew their home best.

 _Leave. Run. Hide_ , Master Gesir had told them. And they went. Taking what or whom they could carry, they hurried towards the Below. (In the crèche, they told stories about that, of little younglings who went exploring and never came back). But Fessk had blue eyes and a bearded face smile at him and tell him not to fear the darkness, and so he didn’t.

“This isn’t how I had imagined my first month as a padawan”, Naruhir whispered and tightened her grip on the little Wookie whose hand she was holding. They had passed the modern building style and entered rough stone floors and empty places where light fixtures must have been. Their little group was guided by the light Elon had conjured. They were all quiet. Those who had already become padawans all felt their Masters die. The little ones were quieted by the sudden absence of the crèche Masters and the oppressing atmosphere of the darkness.

“We’re deep enough now, I think.” Fessk stopped. He’d let them through a series of corridors. “Nobody without the Force can come here.”

“We’re past the Shadow Gauntlet?” Elon exclaimed, astonished. Master Aryn had told them about that. The ancient Jedi had used the Force to twist and turn the perception of everyone who entered the place. She had called it a basic protective ward and that Elon would go there once they were better trained.

“Do you think it would stop the Darksiders if they came down here?” Naruhir asked.

“Should”, Fessk replied, “for now anyway. It was created for protection.”

They all put down the things they carried, blankets, food, a little Twi’lek had stubbornly carried her stuffed Tooka with her. They ate and then huddled together for warmth, resting and waiting for the things to come.

 

Jocasta Nu didn’t look up when she heard the clones enter the archive. Her current task was too important for her to be distracted now. One by one, the files were deleted. Faces, names, missions, secret identities. All disappearing until it was as if they had never existed. The youngling’s files she had already removed. If there was even a single child who escaped the slaughter, the Sith wouldn’t know about it. After she had removed the undercover agents completely, she moved on to the field Jedi. Maybe, just maybe, she could increase their chance of survival. She heard the scrap of a heavy boot on durasteel, and raised her ignited lightsaber just in time to block the first shot. Now it was up to her to give the computer as much time as possible to delete the files of every Jedi currently alive.

 

Bly found her in the grass where they had left her for dead. Her blood dripped down her still body, coloring the grass blue. From the moment he raised his weapon to shoot her, it felt wrong. Why would he kill… _Execute Order 66_ …and he’d pulled the trigger. Later, when the 327th made camp, it had all come crashing down. Not Aayla. Not her. He packed some supplies, took a speeder and left the camp without letting any of his troops take notice. None of them showed a reaction to murdering their general in cold blood.

Bly jumped of the speeder and raced to the fallen Jedi, kneeling next to her. He frantically searched for a pulse, and there it was, beating faintly. His Aayla was too though to just die from a couple of blaster shots. He picked her up carefully. They had to hide, Aayla had to survive and recover, and then they’d kriffing figure out what was going on.

 

Dex and his volunteers moved silently through the underside of Coruscant, avoiding the well populated areas. Dex had acted as soon as he’d received the hurried message of Obi-Wan. _“I found them in the lower levels, they hid before the killing started, and others found them later. They are young and frightened, but determined. The Temple will protect them for now, but they will need supplies as soon as possible and a way off-planet eventually. Keep your ears open, you’ll know when the time comes.”_

There were a lot of people who would help the Jedi, especially in the poorer population of Coruscant. The Jedi helped them, and now they would help the Jedi. No child would come to harm for as long as they could prevent it.

 

The way the Jedi Council communicated with their Jedi undercover was something of a trade secret. No outsider was ever even let close to the communications room, going so far as leading most people to not even believe in the room’s existence. When the explosives hidden under the control panel went off, it killed several squads of clones, severely destabilizing the building’s structure around it. The last message sent from the terminal, using every single encryption assigned to the Jedi in the field, consisted of only a single word: _Run._


	41. HondObi - Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: HondObi Prompt - Reverse save this time? Kenobi has gotten in over his head.
> 
> (HondObi chapters: 13, 25, 38)

“Remember how I said I would be happy to take this job?” Obi-Wan asked his passenger while dodging the fire of the ships chasing them.

“I can distinctly recall you making such a statement, yes”, Sarir replied dryly. And he truly had been. Smuggling much needed medicine on a Hutt controlled planet and then smuggling escaped slaves off said planet appealed to Obi-Wan on a basic level. Plus, the pay was decent. It was just leaving the planet that made problems now.

“I changed my mind.” Obi-Wan made a flip-turn to come face to face with one of the hunters. “Bye, asshole. I hope the Hutts at least payed you decently for dying for their fucked up way of life.”

The resulting fireball gave Obi-Wan some time to gain distance, right at the time another 5 ships joined the four already chasing him. Fell, fuck. The time had come for some truly desperate flying while the nav comp figured out their hyperspace route, since the preprogrammed one was, for some reason, obsolete.

“You know, I think you have a spy in your group”, Obi-Wan said idly, “No, don’t bother checking on them. I am both a firm believer in over the top security measures and in sorting out my problems personally. If they are on my ship, I will find them once we’re out of this.” Sarir opened her mouth to argue, but was interrupted by one of their pursuers going up in flames.

“Gentlebeings, I would very much appreciate it if you stopped trying to blow holes in my ship”, sounded the unmistakable voice of Hondo Ohnaka through the comm. Obi-Wan started to grin. So typical of his idiot pirate to show up at the last minute.

“ _My_ ship, Hondo dearest. I stole it from you fair and square.” Obi-Wan brought his ship next to Hondo’s, taking attack position.

“Obi-Wan. My darling. Apple of my eye, what have you gotten yourself into? Truly, your sense of honor was bound to get you into trouble eventually. And how would I explain to mother that you've gotten yourself killed?“ Obi-Wan could imagine the face Hondo was making, probably with one of his hands placed dramatically over his heart.

“Well, honey, it’s not a problem if you are here to help me, is it?” he replied. “Now, dearheart, would you escort me to this dance?”

“I thought you’d never ask. This truly is a wonderful day.” In beautiful synchronicity, they moved to blast the Hutt hunters out of the sky.


	42. Man and Mer 1 - Where the Ocean Meets the Sand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merman AU

**Where the Ocean Meets the Sand**

It is a place of change. Where the humans may enter the water to be embraced by the ocean, where the people of the sea may rise and meet the sand. No mer has ever been further than the beach; no man can dive deep down where the merpeople live. But they meet on the edge, sometimes.

First, there was simple trade, fish from the water for fruit from the land. But meeting the same people every day, you get talking. Until there is friendship. Then your families meet, and your friends know theirs, and there is a community found here, where the ocean meets the sand.

The harvest is not celebrated on the fields and in the village. The great hunt during swarm season is not concluded in the Deep. A wedding is not proper if the couple is not sprinkled with the ocean water and the sand on the beach. They meet in the middle, they each bring their part and together they are whole. The adults gossip, the children play in the turf and sometimes there is even romance between their people. At other places and in other stories this would be a problem, but in this place, where the people have mingled for so long, it is not even a surprise anymore.

 

Rex gets drafted into the Navy; his country is going to war. The other soldiers find it uncanny, how well he can read the water. _I learned to swim with Qui-Gon holding me afloat, I learned the ocean the same way I learned the fields,_ he doesn’t tell them. They always catch something if they fish, but every net contains some strange looking fish that only Rex seems to recognize and delight in eating. The sharks keep away from the ship, and not one of the sailors and soldiers who fall into the water during a battle ever drown.

One day, there is a terrible storm, and again, there are no casualties. But once it subsides, they have no idea where they are. While they are all busy cleaning up, figuring out what supplies they have left and starting the necessary repairs, Rex goes down below deck. There is a series of loud bangs, a pattern, and Rex comes back up. A moment later, there is a splash, and suddenly a merman is on the ship, his arms crossed on the railing. Most sailors shy back, the merpeople a feared in most parts of the world, it is said they drown humans who fall into the water. But Rex goes to the mer quickly, a smile on his face. “Obi-Wan! I was afraid the storm would prevent you from following us.”

“You need more than a little bad weather to keep me away from you, Rex”, the mer replies, his red hair glistening in the sun. Rex grabs him under the arms and pulls him up the rest of the way, so Obi-Wan can sit comfortably on the railing. “Thank you. Now, how can I help you dear?”

“Do you know where we are?” Rex asks, still weirdly in the mer’s personal space. A human befriending a mer is a tavern tale, but told often enough that there just might be a bit of truth in it. But this is _different_. The way the mer’s blue tail comfortably wraps around Rex’s feet, how Rex’s arm touches his arm fins without the mer flinching away.

“I can tell you where you are in mer terms, but you don’t know the landscape on the ocean floor. I can tell you however that you fleet is in that direction, and the next island with fresh water is over there.” The mer points in two different directions.

“Thank you.” Rex leans forward, and man and mer kiss. Then Obi-Wan lets himself fall backward and disappears again beneath the waves.


	43. HondObi - Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: HondObi - Can we meet Mama Ohnaka? She's got to make sure her son's 'friends' are acceptable after all. 
> 
> (HondObi chapters: 13, 25, 38, 41)

Obi-Wan cheerfully entered the building, using the Force to push the pirates aside who tried to stop him.

“Madam Ohnaka, I have a gift for you”, he announced as he reached the main room. He had carefully prepared for this moment; one didn’t just walk into the headquarters of a feared and famous pirate queen. Even if she was mostly retired, and especially if one carried the knocked-out son of said pirate queen over one’s shoulder. He dropped Hondo on one of the cushions that littered the floor, turned and bowed to the elderly Weequay in one smooth motion. “Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ma’am. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Mama Ohnaka settled back on her chair. “Obi-Wan Kenobi. My Hondo has been talking about you. Where did you find the lout?”

“In general, or do you wish to know how he got into this state?” Obi-Wan asked with a grin, even if honestly he wasn’t that confident.

“Enough with the cheek, boy. What happened to my dear Hondo?”

“Well, by pure coincidence Hondo and the Black Sun had an altercation. Hondo attacked their ship, which was marked as belonging to the trade federation, who have been easy pickings lately, I’m sure you know. I believe Black Sun is setting up a new smuggling operation and they’re trying out routes. All very hush hush. Breaking into their servers is so cumbersome these days”, Obi-Wan explained with a mock-disappointed headshake. “Imagine my surprise, when instead of a new and mysterious drug, I find Hondo in the storage room. But prize is prize, you’ll agree. So I brought him here in the hopes of enjoyed your famed hospitality while he recovers.”

“Is that so, Kenobi? And why is he asleep?” Mama Ohnaka growled dangerously.

“After Hondo volunteered as their test subject, they injected him with their new concoction. As you can see, it has some side effects.” Obi-Wan’s Force-strengthened hearing picked up a change of pitch in Hondo’s breathing at this moment. Momentarily forgetting that he was standing in front of one of the most dangerous pirates alive, Obi-Wan kneeled at Hondo’s side. A few seconds later, Hondo’s eyes fluttered open.

“Obi-Wan? Where?” he trailed off.

“Shh, love, you’re safe. We’re at your mother’s, our ship is secure and she doesn’t seem inclined to shoot me for the moment. Do you want me to help you wake up, or to sand you asleep again?” Obi-Wan cradled Hondo’s neck carefully while his other hand held Hondo’s, mostly to prevent the lunatic from going for his knives. Hondo squeezed his hand twice. The second option, then. Obi-Wan carefully touched Hondo’s mind, sending _safety, sleep, love_ and Hondo’s eyes slowly fluttered shut again. Obi-Wan send a careful trickle of Force-healing into Hondo’s body, encouraging it to metabolize the drug and healing the damage it had taken.

When Obi-Wan looked up, he found Mama Ohnaka looking at him with a strange expression. “Hospitality, you say?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Obi-Wan nodded.

“Call me Mama, Obi-Wan. You can take Hondo to the room I keep prepared for him, even if he never visits. Then you can come back, have something to eat and drink and tell me of all the things you two get up to.”

“Yes, Mama.” Obi-Wan smiled and picked Hondo up again, moving to the door at the back of the room. It seemed he wouldn’t get shot at after all. While Hondo recovered from his current stupidity, Obi-Wan could ask Mama Ohnaka for help in repaying the Black Sun for the way they had treated one of theirs.


	44. Man and Mer 2 - (At the) Turn of the Tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next part of the merman AU (chapter 42)

The battle changes, quite literally, at the turn of the tide. The water rises, the waves get stronger, and suddenly there is a flash of red hair and blue scales, and one of the attackers is dragged from the deck into the ocean.

The soldiers cheer, and continue fighting with renewed vigor. The goal is now to get their enemies to the edge, where Obi-Wan can grab them. Rex dodges a strike and looks around. Even a single mer can make difference on sea, be it a storm or a battle. He runs to the rails and looks down. The sea is rough; most people have problems staying above the water even without a bloodthirsty mer hunting them. Rex, however, is not most. He learned to swim the same time he learned to walk, and he learned from the merpeople. But he’s not so stupid as to go swimming in a heavy uniform. Rex chucks his outer cloak and dives headfirst into the waves. It’s almost ironic, how they played _Drowning Sailor_ as children; practicing diving and underwater fighting.

“Rex, what are you doing?” Obi-Wan asks, coming up next to him.

“Our best chance is making trouble on their ship. The best way would be to capture the Captain, forcing them to surrender. Do you think you could catch him if I managed to throw him over? And drag him some distance away, so they won’t just shoot you.” Obi-Wan considers, then nods.

“Couldn’t we also try to sink the ship?” he asks, even as he grabs Rex and drags him towards the enemy.

“If their ship sinks, taking ours is their only chance of survival. People fighting for their lives fight ten times harder than normally.” Not to mention that a single man and mer hardly could single-handedly sink a war-ship.

“If you say so”, Obi-Wan says dubiously, “In my experience, all humans drown the same.”

“Obi-Wan, I love you. But sometimes you are really, really terrifying.” Rex will probably never get used to the way Obi-Wan and his people divide the world. There is the pod, which is _theirs_ , and then there is everything else. During the war, Obi-Wan had drowned and saved many men, deciding what to do mostly on the way they behaved towards Rex.

“I love you too, darling.” With these words, Obi-Wan picks Rex up and throws him upwards. Rex manages to grip the handholds on the outside and starts to climb. Spotting the Captain isn’t exactly difficult. Getting to him is harder, but without his uniform Rex looks just like any other sailor, even if his boots are nicer. Rex succeeds mostly by luck and the fact that nobody expects to be thrown of their ship to be caught by a merman.

From that on it’s child’s play, and Obi-Wan has to drown him only a _little_. Rex gets a promotion, and Obi-Wan refuses a reward, but he won’t say no to a cup of tea.


	45. Light Remains 3 - Fading Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song Fading Light by Aviators.
> 
> Set in Light Remains (chapters 33, 40)

„How many?“ The cloaked figure asked in lieu of a greeting.

“All of them”, the other replied and sat down at the table. “Vader showed no mercy.”

The group gave a collective shudder, their unease and their grief bleeding into the Force for just a moment. Then they got back to business. With the arrival of their last member, they each wove their Force presences together, forming a shield around them. Now the circle was complete, nobody would be able to spy on them, or even find them for as long as they stayed together like this. Even if this kind of shielding was exhausting to maintain, it was worth it for staying safe during the meeting. Especially with the last remaining Jedi enclave now wiped from the map.

“I told him that is was foolish to try and assassinate the chancellor. He failed and it led Vader right to their doorstep”, another voice growled. Even with their face and body completely hidden by the cloak, it wasn’t difficult to recognize the speaker was a Wookie still in their adolescence.

“That’s the thing though. He didn’t fail. Managed to surprise the guards get into the palace and stab his lightsaber straight through his heart.” A green-skinned hand put a small holo recorder on the table. The group watched with baited breath as the Sith lord was stabbed by their brother and fell to the carpeted floor.

“The problem is that he didn’t stay dead.” The recording switched to a later scene. The failed, or rather successful, Jedi assassin was kneeling in front of a very much alive Emperor. They switched off the recording before the screaming started.

“So. Not only do we have a megalomaniac Sith at the head of a powerful empire, because that wasn’t bad enough. We have an _immortal_ megalomaniac Sith.” The statement sounded equal parts depressed and frustrated, and was accentuated with the tapping of claws on the table.

“Nothing is truly immortal”, a female voice interjected. “You can cheat death, delay it, but you cannot stop it. If we can figure out how he prevents his death, we can figure out to reverse it.”

“Then that must be our next goal. This is the reason the Force called us together today. Spread out, search the galaxy for a rumor, a hint, anything. But don’t get cocky. You can’t bring intel back if you’re too dead to do so”, the late coming member of the circle announced. One by one, the cloaked figures left the room, the shield slowly fading away like mist in the sun. They did not speak, but then, they didn’t need to. All of their minds were connected in some way, everything was understood between them. The last person to leave cupped their hands around the single candle that burned on the table and blew out the flame.


	46. May I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by May I by Trading Yesterday

Obi-Wan closed the door to his quarters behind him; then he leaned against the door and took a moment to just close his eyes and breathe. Yet another meeting with the council, arguing about Anakin’s training, Obi-Wan’s teaching methods, Anakin’s behavior, and and and… Obi-Wan was getting tired of it. To always having to fight for everything in his life. If only Qui-Gon hadn’t died. His Master would have argued the Council into a corner, ignored their complaints and gone his merry way. Obi-Wan couldn’t stop the sob that escaped him. He missed Qui-Gon so much. A second sob followed the first, then Obi-Wan got himself under control. He took a deep breath, wiped his eyes and went into the kitchen to make tea. It would help him calm down before Anakin returned from his lessons.

Actually pouring the tea was interrupted by the door chime. Obi-Wan sighed and got up to let his visitor in.

“Hello, my darling, my dear, my…” Quinlan stopped his enthusiastic greeting once he got a proper look at his friend’s face. Those were tear tracks on his cheeks and the shadows under his eyes told of sleepless nights. “Obi-Wan, you look like shit”

“Thank you for your astute observation, Knight Vos”, Obi-Wan replied and waved him inside. Quinlan had come here as soon as he’d returned from his mission to talk with Obi-Wan about the future and the relationship they wanted to try after Obi-Wan’s knighting. But looking at his friend now, Quinlan realized that the last thing that Obi-Wan needed right now was someone flirting with him. Obi-Wan was almost vibrating with tension, even though he hid it well. Quinlan resolved then and there that he would find everyone who made Obi-Wan miserable and make them regret it. But later. At the moment Obi-Wan needed a shoulder to cry on more than he needed a quest for vengeance. He slowly pulled Obi-Wan into a hug.

“I’ve got you, Obi. I’m here. Let it out.” Obi-Wan clung to Quinlan who enveloped him with his arms and the Force, and finally let all the grief and anguish flow freely. At least there was someone in his corner.


	47. A Gentle Fall 3 - Victims of Ourselves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of A Gentle Fall (chapter 1, 15)

„You brought this on yourselves, you know“, the Clone told them. The Jedi Council exchanged looks, this was not what they were expecting. Fear, maybe, or uncertainty. One of Kenobi’s Clones, who had joined the fallen Jedi and were now tearing through the galaxy like wildfire. Finally, after months of fighting, one of them was caught and brought before the Jedi Council. And this is what he told them.

“What do you mean?” asked Mace Windu angrily, leaning forward in his chair.

“Well, if you weren’t such a bunch of hidebound assholes, Kenobi would have been loyal to you until his death. If you hadn’t treated him like a tool without wants of his own, treated me and my brothers as more than expendable assets, we would have been glad to fight by your side. But of course you were too busy believing in your own superiority.” The Clone had definitely been in Kenobi’s company, only Obi-Wan did polite derision so well.

“Jedi, we are. Serve the Force, we do. Wrong young Kenobi was, to lead you astray”, Yoda announced. The old Master had aged considerably when he heard of Kenobi’s betrayal. But still he stood certain, his conviction never wavering.

“Being a Jedi used to mean something, too”, the Clone snorted. “All you really are is the Senate’s attack dogs. Did you even protest employing a slave army?”

“Enough!” Even Piell shouted. “You are soldiers in service to the Republic. You betrayed us, and a lot of good people are dead because of it.”

“Calm yourself, Master Piell. Attacking him won’t help anything.” Master Windu raised his hand in a calming gesture. Piell quieted down, but didn’t look happy about it.

“Her”, the Clone interjected. The Council took a moment to absorb this. Choosing a different gender wasn’t rare, but no clone in the GAR had ever shown an inclination towards gender change. _Or hadn’t been comfortable with showing it._ There were no opportunities for Clones for these things. They were soldiers, they fought the war, and that was all. For the first time, some of the Masters really considered the men under their command. Started to consider the words of the woman who proudly stood before them. _Beware the anger of a gentle man_ , as the old proverb went. Obi-Wan certainly was gentle, but it seemed he had enough of the Jedi Order. And now they would pay the price.


	48. The Whole of the Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by The Whole of the Moon by Celtic Woman

Where Padme is cautious, Anakin is brash.  
Where Padme is hesitant, Anakin runs into without a second thought.

When Anakin’s thoughtlessness gets him into danger,  
Padme is there with a plan to get him out.  
When Padme overestimates her own power,  
Anakin’s strength protects her.

Together they are a force to be reckoned with,  
When one attacks, the other defends.  
Where one is careless, the other is considerate.  
They are balanced together,  
unstoppable in their goals.

And they wanted it all  
but in the end  
they could only fall.


	49. How far we'll go 1 - Je suis un homme

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Je suis un homme by Zazie

_Darth Sidious’s plan was pretty simple in its design. Create an army you can control, create a war to make the Jedi need an army, have the army wipe out the Jedi, make the Republic into your Empire. The plan was brilliant. It just hit a little snag at the most crucial point…_

“Fuck and also No.” Obi-Wan crossed his arms and stared resolutely at the Jedi Council. “There is no chance in the Here and the Beyond that I’m going out to lead an army into war. Especially not an army that is essentially made up of enslaved child soldiers.”

“Obi-Wan, be reasonable. The galaxy is at war, the Republic needs to meet the Separatist threat.”

“Just how much of that sentence do you really believe in?” Obi-Wan asked Mace. “The Jedi aren’t soldiers, we’re peace keepers. You cannot keep the peace with military power. And let me repeat: Slave. Army. If the Republic is desperate enough to use slaves, then it honestly deserves to fall.”

“Really mean that, you do not, young one”, Yoda said. “A price there is to pay for peace, sometimes.”

“Tell that to my scar.” Obi-Wan pulled back his tunics and pointed to the pale scar around his neck. Xanatos’s collar had left its mark in more than one way. Yoda drew back, his ears drooping in dismay.

“Young Kenobi has a point. I have talked to several of the Clones, and all they have ever known was fighting. They don’t even have their own names, only numbers.” Plo Koon pointed out. “They also have less life experience than some new padawans, no matter their physical age.”

“It doesn’t matter. The Jedi Order is beholden to the Senate and they have ordered us to lead the army. To refuse would be treason.” Mace pointed out.

“A rebellion, then. But how exactly would the Senate enforce this, if their main fighting force is the one rebelling?” Depa Billaba asked. “Admit it, Master, you’re as unhappy about this than Master Kenobi.”

“And besides, even if there is open fighting, if they declare us traitors and execute us, I would much rather die for my ideals than living long enough to grind them into dust.”


	50. Into the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Into the Night by Santana

A Jedi padawan was always decorous. They would follow their Master’s lead in all things, mind their manners and always work on improving themselves. Obviously.

This means, of course, that every padawan knew at least three ways to sneak out of the temple, knew every bar and club in the Temple District and had some kind of discount at one of them at minimum. Sneaking out, or even around the temple was an art form in itself. But the story of how padawan Kenobi joined his Master in the Council Room through what was supposed to be a closed vent system with the words “It’s very dusty in here” has to wait for another time.

All padawan groups had their preferred hang outs outside the temple (and inside, naturally). The bar they visit to celebrate successful missions and a club that they visit for dancing. (Some of the more enterprising padawans know where to go for some discreet private meetings as well).

Tonight they were celebrating Siri Tachi’s elevation to Senior Padawan. She was technically not old enough yet to drink on Coruscant, but Obi-Wan knew how to find places where that didn’t really matter, a skill he’d promised to teach her. For now the beat was strong and the music loud, and they danced, the Force pulsing through them. They were young, and tomorrow didn’t matter.


	51. Beekeeper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Beekeeper by Keaton Henson

Asajj Ventress lives her life by two rules.

_The only one who can protect you is yourself._

From the time she can walk, she learns to hide. Once she can’t hide anymore, she learns to fight. And fight she does, with nails and teeth, with kicks and punches. She is, at this point, nothing more than a commodity. She is a child. She has no value, no one who cares. So she is fierce in her defense and unyielding in her attacks. And at this point, her master dies and her life changes.

After a brief time being a Jedi Padawan (what a waste, not even powerful enough not to die), she is on her own, loose in the galaxy. And then, in service to a Sith. Dooku teaches her, but he does it for his own selfish gain. She is useful in her power, but ultimately, she is expendable.

Once again she is on her own, with the Separatists and the Republic both out for her blood, for the first time in years, a lightsaber is raised in her defense.

 

_Eventually, everyone leaves._

She never really has anyone while she is a child, given away by her birth clan into slavery. Until there is Narec. She has someone to take care of her, to teach her, and it is such a novel idea that Asajj is struck speechless sometimes. She uses her power in turn to protect others, so no other girl will grow up like her. And then, suddenly, inexplicably, Narec is gone. Killed. And her grief is destruction.

Found by Dooku, she learns to harness her anger. Dooku isn’t the kind and caring teacher Narec had been, but in his own way, he protects her. She knows he is holding something back, that there is _more_ to him, and she desperately tries to proof herself worthy. In return, she is praised, her power, her control, and she thinks, _hopes_ , that she may have a future at Dooku’s side. When he tries to kill her, she isn’t even sure why she is surprised.

Her sisters are dead and she doesn’t know what to do with her life. She has no clan, no purpose, no joy. She is merely existing. But then, without threats or demands, she is offered a hand.

Asajj Ventress lives her life by two rules. However, for the first time, she is thinking about a third.

_Sometimes, there is hope._


	52. The Dead Can't Testify

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by The Dead Can't Testify by Billy Talent

Darth Maul, the last of the Sith Lords, walked slowly from the court room, the sentence ringing in his ears. _Death._

It was by a small miracle that he had escaped before either of the two Jedi could manage to kill him. Using the time the ray shields gave him, he’d vanished into the palace, his mission forgotten. His Master always told him the Jedi were weak, had drilled him mercilessly to make him into the best fighter he could be. But all for naught, he had not stood a chance against the pair working together like a well-oiled machine, one covering for the other’s weakness. And his Master had to have known, as Senator he had access to the files of all Jedi. This meant, of course, that Darth Sidious had sent Maul to succeed in an impossible task, or to die.

Hidden in shadow, Maul had watched as the delegation from the Senate arrived. There he had been, the new Chancellor of the Republic. Seeing his Master exchange bows with the Jedi, all his plans having succeeded and not even a single care for his apprentice, Maul had snapped.

Fast as lightning, he had run from his hiding place, giving nobody time to react. He’d ignited his lightsaber and brought it down. And just like that, the years of pain, training and fear were over. For a moment, Maul had just stood over the lifeless body of his Master. And a moment had been enough for the Jedi to act.

His trial had started even before he’d reached Coruscant, the Senate in an uproar over the Chancellor’ death. While some had protested the way Maul was treated, the overall consensus had been not to ask any questions and get on with the sentencing. And so, even as the answer to all their recent problems and difficulties walked out of the door, the Senate still had no idea about the Sith who had spent years among their number.

Maul didn’t really care about the state of the Republic at large. But what mattered to him is that nobody knew his story. Nobody acknowledged the pain Maul had been in, how deserving Sidious had been of death. And soon enough, Maul wouldn’t be alive to tell his story.

As Maul finally reached the exit, he met the eyes of one of the Jedi. The younger one, except he now was missing his braid. Blue eyes studied him for a few seconds, then the Jedi gave a faint nod. Suddenly Maul was certain, that even if he’d never get to tell his story, there still would be someone to figure it all out anyway. Maul nodded back, and a moment of understanding passed between Sith and Jedi.

And in all this, Maul and the Jedi had never spoken a single word.


	53. Under Coruscant's Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the song Sous le ciel de Paris

Coruscant is notably the only planet in the Galactic Republic without their own representation in the Senate. After all, who better to decide about the Senator's living space than the Senators themselves. And so the entirety of Coruscant's population lives by the pleasure of the Planetary Living Committee.

Of course, the reality of the situation is quite different. With the Senators mostly uncaring about anything that doesn't directly concern them, the lower levels of the planet are mostly self-governed. The rich people topside think that the underbelly is largely comprised of thugs and criminals, because the only time they hear about the lowside is when the Judicial Forces try to do something about the crime cartels that are abundant down on the planet’s surface. Not that they are ever successful for long.

But while there are a lot of criminals down lowside (as always in a place without law), they are far outweighed by the rest of the people who mainly just want to live their lives. Money is scarce down there, and so there is a trade of goods, and a community where everyone knows everyone else, and you help each other whenever possible.

Just an alley away from the half-legal nightclubs you might find a small theater, where he local playwright presents their new play. In a rare ray of natural light, there plays a band, with children singing and clapping along to the old-familiar songs that have been passed down the generations for centuries.

As Senators hold their galas and praise the expensive catering, just a mile below there is a baker who can do the most amazing things with a handful of berries. The smuggling of fresh fruit is the largest market lowside, if not the most profitable. Because some things you don’t ask large sums for, that is understood by everyone. The ones who don’t follow the unspoken rules that keep Coruscant in balance, are met with a swift end. Because the people of Coruscant take care of their own, and they are strong and full of beauty.


	54. Red Coats and Roses

Bilbo Baggins returns to the Shire not exactly heartbroken, but not happy either. He’d spent the winter in Erebor, helping with the reconstruction. For a while, Bilbo had thought that maybe he would be happy there, with the friends he had found in his dwarrows and the special connection he’d formed with Fili. Well, maybe not so much the connection with Fili.

Dwarven courtship, it turned out, was ridiculously complicated, with ritualized gift giving and declarations and whatnot. In a way the other dwarfs proclaimed very romantic, Fili seemed intent in covering Bilbo in gems and Durin blue. Bilbo had accepted the gifts, somewhat bemused, but had quietly wondered what on Arda he was supposed to do with them. Since he was a hobbit, Bilbo was apparently exempt from dwarfish customs, a fact that for some reasons rankled immensely. Though where he would find flowers to give in return according to Hobbit custom, Bilbo had no idea.

The first inkling that it may not be the happy end he wished for, Bilbo got in the middle of winter. King Thranduil sent Bilbo a branch of evergreen, with a white ribbon tied around. While Bilbo was astonished that Thranduil apparently remembered the old Hobbit custom of asking for forgiveness and a new beginning, and delighted that he finally had something green around him, the dwarrows and especially Fili had pitched an absolute fit. _Just a piece of wood is not worthy of a member of Durin’s line_. Bilbo had explained that growing things were very much accepted gifts among Hobbits, but nevertheless, just three days later the branch was gone from his quarters.

Because Bilbo was by nature a stubborn person, he regularly exchanged letters with Thranduil, who told Bilbo what he remembered about the _HobytlaHHobytla_ , who had lived in the Anduin Valley many centuries ago. When Thorin tried to forbid the letters, Bilbo had given him a Look and threatened to just stay with the elves in Mirkwood then. From this point on, Bilbo’s writing had just been another Hobbit thing.

A _Hobbit thing_. Bilbo’s quirks were tolerated, but apart from Ori who asked about the origins of Hobbit customs, the dwarfs made no move to understand the culture Bilbo grew up with. As the snow thawed and Bilbo rejoiced in the plants that tentatively started to grow, he wondered if he couldn’t grow a small garden somewhere. When he voiced that idea at dinner that day, the answer was an immediate denial. _No. Too dangerous. More important duties inside the mountain…_ And Bilbo was certain that he couldn’t stay.

He put away the jewelry that he mostly wore to make Fili happy. The expensive clothing that was way too elaborate for his tastes he left behind. And as he left the halls that in another time might have been his home, he turned around and gave Fili the bead he had woven into Bilbo’s hair. _I cannot be with you if you don’t accept me for all that I am. And I am a Hobbit._

Then he was picked up by the rider Thranduil had sent him. In the Elven King’s halls he put on the delightful travel cloak made for him. In red, because at least someone listened to him about his favorite color. And then, over the Misty Mountains, through Rivendell and Bree until he reached the Shire.

Bilbo steps through his front door. He puts down his travel bag and the small chest with coins he’d taken from Erebor. He unbuckles Sting and puts it on the table. One by one, he walks through the rooms of Bag End. Until he reaches the back door. Bilbo steps into the garden, fresh and growing things under his toes, and the smell of blooming flowers in the air. There is something new here. A small rose bush is blooming red in a spot Bilbo long thought about filling. And next to it, Hamfast Gamgee, smiling shyly and holding a fresh bouquet of flowers. And Bilbo knows he made the right choice.


	55. Where We Belong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Where We Belong by Thriving Ivory

“Can you believe it?” Hermione asks excitedly from where she’s packing her trunk.

“No, I really can’t”, Ron answers. Harry isn’t sure he believes it either. After a year on the run, after the battle and a summer full of trials, newspaper articles and being struck with the sudden realization that it’s _over_ , that he _lived_ , they are now returning to Hogwarts to finish their schooling. All three of them. It’s going to be almost disgustingly normal and Harry is delighted.

Hogwarts is of course everything but normal. Harry watches the disaster that is the DADA class for about a week until he kicks out the instructor (“Why don’t you go and do something useful?”), conscripts a number of former DA members as assistants and starts teaching the class himself. Hermione takes one look at the number of students with nightmares combined with the wizarding world’s complete lack of mental health care and starts self-help groups. Once she realizes how much the past year and the Carrow’s instruction messed up the younger years, there are meetings to discuss ethics (“I can doesn’t always mean I should”) as well.

Ron watches both of his idiots throwing themselves into their new roles with enthusiasm and can only make sure they remember to eat and sleep. And cash in his bets with Dean and Seamus, with whom he bet back in fifth year that Harry would end up as a teacher at some point. He becomes famous among the first years for picking up Harry with the words “I’m sorry to interrupt your tutoring session, but Professor Harry has to take a mandated nap now”, then he leaves the classroom and enters their quarters next to it (it was naturally Hermione’s idea to move out of Gryffindor tower once Harry starts teaching in earnest).

“Mandated, huh. By whom?” Harry asks.

“Me”, Ron answers and drops him on their bed.

While Hermione arms her fellow students with facts and resources and hijacks a teacher’s meeting with a discussion about Muggle Studies which have to be updated immediately, Harry surely and quietly proves that he could win a mothering contest against Molly Weasley. Mostly because he isn’t stifling his students with care. Instead, Harry’s philosophy is “Shit happens, so be prepared for shit to happen” and then makes sure each and every student knows their defense by heart. And he is good in spotting students in pain. A shitty home life, being orphaned, being ostracized for being different, Harry has a hug and a kind word for everyone. But while Harry finds the ones who are hurting, Ron finds those who got left behind. The children who are insecure in their talents, who have their parents demand what they should do, how they should behave, Ron is there with encouragement.

And so the Golden Trio balances each other out. They are three parts of a whole, and Hogwarts sleeps better with them being there.


	56. Tongue Tied

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Tongue Tied by Faber Drive

The Apprenticeship of Obi-Wan Kenobi to Qui-Gon Jinn is…unconventional, mildly speaking. It started out highly irregular, days after young Kenobi officially lost his chance to become a Jedi Knight, and it continued in that vein. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Padawan, certainly, but instead of spending most of his time learning from his Master, he instead bounces from one Jedi to the next, studying their specialties and listening to their knowledge. Even though he’d accepted Obi-Wan as a Padawan, sometimes Jinn will still leave him behind in the Temple, and whether this is for Kenobi’s protection or due to Jinn’s unwillingness to take him along on missions is debated hotly among the Temple’s populace.

So Obi-Wan basically raises himself. He learns from Master Qui-Gon everything the other is willing to teach him, but he realizes pretty fast that both of them are very different in their way of using the Force, and Qui-Gon is not encouraging this difference. Obi-Wan studies the Unifying Force under a number of different Masters, Syfo-Dias, Mace Windu, and even his Grandmaster Dooku. But even as he learns, and learns well, while he is praised for his efforts, Obi-Wan is still desperately aware that Master Qui-Gon, the one whose approval means the most to him, doesn’t really care. He isn’t sure why that is and what he could do to make it better.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is Padawan to Qui-Gon Jinn, and he is resigned to only ever being acceptable.


	57. A Gentle Fall - Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Gentle Fall was begun in chapter 1 and continued in chapters 15 and 47

It’s Tup who alerts Obi-Wan to the problem. The young Clone started dreaming about killing Jedi and muttering in his sleep. _Execute Order 66_. Obi-Wan checks Tup’s mind with the Force thoroughly, his Jedi compunctions about restraint replaced with his new Fuck-If-I-Care attitude. What he finds enrages him so much he makes a number of small items around him shatter and even Ventress takes a step back. There is something foreign in Tup’s mind, and it’s trying to take control. Not on Obi-Wan’s watch, nobody under his care is getting mind controlled.

A brain scan reveals something that looks like a tumor at first, but turns out to be a small biochip after removal. Obi-Wan gets a very bad feeling and asks that other Clones be scanned as well. _Every single one of them has a chip inside their brain._ Obi-Wan spends the time the chips get removed and the Clones recover with prowling around like a bad-tempered Krayt-Dragon. The only one who doesn’t walk on eggshells around him is Quinlan, who proclaims “He’s still little grumpy Obi from the crèche. Only with added Force lightning”

Once all of them have recovered, Obi-Wan tells them their next plan of action. He wants answers, and he wants them now. “My friends, I believe it is time for a little trip to Kamino.”

 

“Dooku! It was Dooku!” Lama Su screams before his death.

 

The Separatists under Count Dooku and the Fuck Everything Faction under Obi-Wan had a tacit agreement. No side bothers the other and Dooku won’t lose anymore droids to Force lightning. Now it is clear that Dooku was playing for time, that he was waiting for the chips to activate, and all bets are off. They drop directly on Serenno and Dooku has no warning and really stands no chance against the combined abilities of Obi-Wan and Asajj. What it actually takes to finally get the information from him, neither of them would say, and the Clones and Jedi know better than to ask.

“Fuck. We can’t exactly invade Coruscant” Cody says, frustrated. Quinlan and Rex share a look that shows their complete agreement that it would be possible, just very difficult. Before either of them can voice that thought, Obi-Wan interrupts the impending discussion before it can start.

“No, invading Coruscant would be very foolish. I think this is the moment our kept Jedi can be useful. Asajj, please make sure Skywalker’s prison is still secret and secure. Cody, find me an encryption specialist and get me a secure connection to Senator Amidala. I wonder what she would do to get her husband back…”

Obi-Wan Kenobi, fallen to the Dark, neither Jedi nor Sith, is on the hunt, and no one is safe.


	58. The Light Behind Your Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by The Light Behind Your Eyes by My Chemical Romance

Obi-Wan walks across the dunes.

The intense heat of the twin suns should bother him, but it isn’t enough to warm his insides. His body always feels cold now. The pain of thousands of deaths and several strong bonds broken has left scars on his soul, and Obi-Wan doesn’t think he will ever heal from it.

Not even five years ago, with the sounds of battle ringing in his ears, Obi-Wan would have given his left arm _(Anakin would have made you a new one anyway)_ for some time in isolation without having to do anything. Now, the wish rings hollow and Obi-Wan would gladly spent another five years at war if it meant being back with Cody and the other _vode_.

His boot hits a small stone. That is so unusual he picks it up to look at it. The form reminds him of… _Quinlan would make a dirty joke now, Bant would smack him upside the head, Garen would bury his face in his hands, Reeft would blush deeply, Siri would fall off her seat cackling…_ He drops the stone.

He reaches a small outcropping of rocks, and between them a spring. _“Never pass up the chance for water when you are in a desert, Padawan.”_ So he fills up his bottle and takes care the salt in his tears won’t fall into the clean and clear water.

A gust of wind blows sand in his face. “ _Master, no!” Anakin hopping around, desperately trying to get away from the handful of sand Obi-Wan had thrown at him. Next to him, Ahsoka doubles over, her bright laughter echoing across the camp where Rex and Cody share a knowing look._ He pulls his hood deeper into his face.

Without a purpose, the days have lost all meaning to him. _“The only meaning my life has from this moment on is to drink you under the table one day”, Mace tells him, hungover and clutching a cup of caff after their long Council Strategy Meeting (read: kick back, relax, and consume vast amounts of alholhol). “You should have known better than to enter a drinking contest against Obi-Wan”, Adi answers in Obi-Wan’s stead, leaning over Mace’s shoulder and stealing a sip of his caff._ Adi had died not even a moth afterwards.

With only his own memory, Obi-Wan is flooded by memories, both good and bad. Happy smiles, anguished screams. The pride of a job well done, and endless what-ifs and maybes.

Obi-Wan walks across the dunes.


	59. HondObi - Part 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: HondObi - I believe Mama Ohnaka and Obi-Wan were going to fuck some shit up? Hondo might be up and about finally?
> 
> (HondObi chapters: 13, 25, 38, 41, 43)

„Obi-Wan!“

Obi-Wan opens his eyes and spends a moment listening Hondo shouting through the comm.

“Yes Darling?” he finally replies and stretches his arms while yawning.

“Were you asleep in there?” Hondo asks astonished.

“It’s very calm in here.” Obi-Wan starts wiggling through the ventilation shaft he’d chosen as a napping place. “Does this mean we’re ready to start then?”

“Yes, everything is in place”, Hondo confirms and Obi-Wan carefully glides through the opening and into the corridor. Just as planned, he’d arrived right across the security office. Perfect. He uses the Force to push the door open without a sound and sneaks up on the guard.

“Sleep”, he whispers in her ear, the Force in his voice, and she slumps. Then he settles into the chair and starts typing into the keyboard. “I’m in position. Cameras going dark and communications disrupted in three, two,…”

There is the sound of an explosion echoing up from the north entrance. Hondo and his men will now very carefully make a terrible nuisance of themselves, distracting the Black Sun’s security and making space for the grand entrance of Mama Ohnaka, who has a surprising amount of ships available for a retired pirate queen. Obi-Wan gets up and shoots the security panel for good measure. Nobody will be restoring anything in here that’s for certain. He leaves the room and strolls through the corridor towards Hondo’s position, dodging the occasional blaster bolt and returning fire. It is so very useful if the majority of your opponents is facing away from you.

“Hello Honey, did you miss me?” he calls once he joins up with Hondo and his people while running straight into the melee, shooting guards left, right and center.

“I am, as always, delighted to see you”, Hondo smiles back and shoots a guard who’s trying to sneak up on Obi-Wan behind his back.

They make their way across the compound and arrive at the leader’s quarters about the same time as Mama Ohnaka. She kicks in the door and the three of them enter the room to come face to face with a blaster aimed at Obi-Wan’s head.

“You will cease your attack this instant.” Hefak Jires hisses. Obi-Wan rolls his eyes, moves lightning quick to the side and grabs the Falleen’s arm to throw him right in the way of Hondo’s punch. They look down at their opponent and Mama Ohnaka aims her blaster at his head.

“Mama, what are you doing?” Hondo asks, indignant. “I was the one harmed, so I should be the one to shoot him.”

“Yes, but you’re my lover, and therefore I reserve the right to shoot anyone who harms you”, Obi-Wan interjects. They look at each other.

“Sabacc?” Obi-Wan asks. Hondo nods and holsters his blaster.

“Sabacc.”


	60. Undone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Undone by FFH

“Ani, you’re home!” called Padme and hugged him. She was the only one who still referred to him by that name; he was Darth Vader to everyone else. Vader took a moment to enjoy the scent, the feel of her. Alive. He still remembered how he had found her on his return from Mustafar, still weak and covered in blood of childbirth, though the baby was nowhere to be found.

 _Please don’t ask me about our child_ , she had said, desperation in her voice, and so he hadn’t. The memory was so painful to the both of them, they never once talked about the day where the Empire had risen, and they lost their child.

It had left Padme frail and weak. For her own safety, Vader had forbidden her to leave the apartment. His love had to be safe while he traveled the galaxy to bring peace to the Empire under the guidance of the Emperor.

“I’m so glad you’re here, angel. I couldn’t do this without you”, he whispered. He could see a flicker of pain in her eyes, just for a second. Then she smiled.

“Of course I’m here, my love. This is where we belong, together.”


	61. How far we'll go 2 - The Resistance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by The Resistance by Skillet
> 
> Sequel to Chapter 49

It threw everything into disarray.

Count Dooku expected a war against the Republic, with the Jedi as leaders and the Clone Army as foot soldiers. But the Jedi refused to fight.

Chancellor Palpatine expected a war against the Seperatists, a basis for him to consolidate his power. But it was not a war, it was a rebellion.

The Clones expected to be soldiers for the Jedi, to fight, live or die on their orders. But now they were people, not expendable.

The first act of the Jedi Order after refusing to lead an army into war, was securing Kamino. Jango Fett’s genetic sequence was deleted from their servers, the incubation tubes and the clones, both young and grown, were packed up and transferred to a safer location. Then the Clones were given _choice_ , if they wanted to fight or try their hands at something else. They were confused about that at first, wasn’t fighting for the honor of the Jedi and the glory of the Republic what they were made for in the first place? Then General, no, Master Kenobi had said, very quietly, his eyes haunted, _There is no Honor in war. Nor Glory. There is only Death._ And they stopped and started to consider.

The speech Master Mace Windu gave to the Senate in response to the call to arms spread like wildfire. _The Jedi fight to defend others. We keep the peace. To go to war over territorial issues between governments is anathema to everything we stand for. This is where we stand, this is how far we’ll go._ Many stopped to really consider the implications of a war against the Separatists, who were ultimately just a different government in the galaxy. Still others listened to the rhetoric of Senator’s fearing for their pocketbooks, or fearing the power of the Jedi Order not under Senate control, and they called for sanctions against the Jedi.

Darth Tyranus was ordered by Darth Sidious to attack Republic settlements, in order to force the Jedi to fight or let innocents get hurt, but before he could do so, he received a call from Master Yoda. _Consider carefully, you should, what to do next, my old Padawan. What kind of ruler over your people you wish to be._ Combined with the calls from the Seperatist Senate to keep the peace for now, he decided to be more than his Master’s puppet. After all, he had been a Jedi once.

This was the moment for everyone to stand up for their beliefs, to resist all the wrongs in the galaxy.


	62. The closer you get to something, the harder it is to see

At first, it is easy to see. Obi-Wan Kenobi looks at Anakin Skywalker and he sees danger, clear as day.

Then, Qui-Gon dies, and with his dying breath makes him give a promise, _train the boy._ And Obi-Wan takes all his capacity to love, shoves his unease into a corner of his mind and takes the Padawan Qui-Gon has chosen for him.

Obi-Wan has always been gifted in the Unifying Force, his visions are strong and ring true. More than once he wakes with blood on his mind, and death. And he is so very careful in how he trains Anakin, his every word carefully considered, for good or ill.

They are Master and Padawan, they have a strong bond that is admired throughout the Temple and the Order, for all that they bicker, they work together like a well-oiled machine. Obi-Wan does not listen to the warnings the Force whispers into his ear.

It is war. Every day there is a battle, there is killing or being killed, and not always does everyone who entered the battlefield return. Obi-Wan listens to his old Padawan’s opinions, how they sometimes do not align with what he himself would consider right and just. But this is Anakin, and he would trust him with his life.

Obi-Wan kneels between the bodies of younglings, victims of mindless slaughter, and he is convinced in his very soul that _Anakin would never._


	63. The Heart From Your Hate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by The Heart From Your Hate by Trivium

Anakin looked up when a very heavy book was slammed on the table in front of him.

“What is that?” he asked Obi-Wan, who was looking at him with an indeterminable expression.

“It’s an intervention, my young Padawan”, Obi-Wan replied. His voice was mild, but still contained a fair bit of annoyance. “I have watched you blunder long enough, and apparently you don’t listen when I try to tell you these things. Therefore you will read the Treatise on the Reformation of the Jedi Order, that was put together not too long ago. In it you will find the most important aspects of the Jedi Code and culture, their origins and importance to the present day. Then I suggest you meditate on what you’ve learned.”

Anakin eyed the big tome in dismay.

“But why?” he asked, trying very hard and failing not to sound like he has whining.

“Because, Anakin, your proclaimed goal is to become the best Jedi of all times. While this is somewhat arrogant, it is still a worthy goal. The problem is that you are going about it in the completely wrong way, which stems partially from your willful ignorance on these matters. You measure your success in comparison to others, instead of comparing to yourself. The best Jedi is the one most in harmony with himself, you should strive to the be best version of yourself you can be. Every time you revel in the fact that your skills are greater than those of your peers, you alienate them more. And then you complain that the other Padawans do not like you because they are jealous. Maybe they are, a bit, but far more they are put off by your arrogance. It’s a vicious cycle, and I’ve watched it long enough. You will stay here, read more about what it truly means to be a Jedi, and meditate on your life choices. Until then, you are not to leave the Temple.”

His little speech concluded, Obi-Wan turned to leave the room, but stopped in front of the door. “And another thing, Anakin. If you are unhappy with the way I teach you, if you believe that I’m ‘holding you back’, you are welcome to request another teacher. I’m sick and tired of proving myself over and over again.”

With that last parting shot, Obi-Wan left the room, leaving Anakin to mutely stare after him, feeling confused and slightly angry.


	64. Old Soldier Goodbye

He goes quietly. No grand parades, no speeches or medals for one like him. The war is finally over, the Republic restored, the Empire defeated. He can rest at last. But the victory feels hollow.

Rex is the last of his kind. When he’d been younger, he imagined what it would be like, to retire. For some reason, he never even considered being alone. He would be with Cody, Wooley, Waxer and Boil. Kix and Jesse would probably claim the top floor of whatever kind of house they would have, and they could watch Kix threaten Hardcase with bodily harm each morning before he’d had some caff. Fives and Echo, Tup, the younger brothers moving into the places the older ones leave behind after being killed. But now, Rex is alone. Gods, how naïve he’d been.

Somehow, Rex figures out how to deal with not constantly living on the edge, in danger of death. He’s just Old Rex now, the one with the best stories for the village children. He does odd jobs here and there and becomes a valued member of the community. Cody would be laughing his ass off at him.

Old habits die hard, though, and so Rex pays attention to the galaxy at large. He’s one of the first to notice the danger on the horizon. It turns out that their hard fought peace was only temporary, after all. Well, his days of death defying stunts and stupid heroics are long past him, he isn’t even sure he could hold a blaster steady anymore. Someone else would have to take care of the problem. He is done.

On the day Ben Skywalker destroys the Jedi Academy and becomes Kylo Ren, Rex closes his eyes for the last time.

Farewell, Old Soldier. Rest. Find Peace.


	65. In the Silence 2 - Blood On My Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Blood On My Name by The Brothers Bright
> 
> Sequel to Chapter 28

The Emperor is dead. Long live the Emperor.

The battle of Endor is not the rousing success the Alliance had hoped for. This is mostly caused by the fact that it takes about ten seconds after the Emperor’s death and the destruction of the second Death Star for a new Emperor to take the throne. There would be a widespread panic about that, if the new Emperor didn’t have a very different modus operandi than the old one. The Empire retreats behind the established borders, leaving all planets that support the Alliance behind.

The Alliance establishes itself as the New Republic, and the new Emperor, who is called Darth Aeternus, calls for official negotiations. There is quite a bit of discussion in the new senate, if they even should negotiate, and who they should send, and security and whatnot. In the end, the New Republic agrees to peace negotiations and sends Leia Organa as their representative. With her go Han Solo and Chewbacca, as well as Luke Skywalker. And Rex elbows his way into coming with them, because he knows the Skywalker family and you should never let any of them go anywhere unsupervised.

They arrive on Coruscant, which has thankfully left the moniker of Imperial Center behind. The planet seems strangely empty, even though there is obviously a lot of work going on everywhere. Looking at the old Jedi Temple being refurbished as palace makes Rex’s old heart ache.

Led by a guard they enter not a throne room, but a conference room, and Rex forgets to think, forgets to breathe. Because waiting there are two very familiar figures. Obi-Wan Kenobi wears black robes, with hints of blood red shining through and his eyes burn with amber. Cody wears red and black as well, his uniform, as Rex is horrified to recognize, is one of the famed and feared Shadow Guard, which had formed about five years after the Empire’s formation and was known for rarely leaving survivors behind. Rex isn’t sure how he makes it through the primary talks, but he does, barely.

Cody finds him later, alone. Rex wants to scream at him, but he asks instead, quietly and desperate: “Why?”

Cody takes a deep breath and hesitates a moment before answering. “Because it was the only way. At first it was to keep Obi-Wan somewhat stable during his fall. Then we managed to get other vode de-chipped without Sidious noticing. And finally, I just couldn’t stop. If I walked away, someone else would kill in my place. And they wouldn’t look for possibilities, wouldn’t even consider sparing a life. I have a duty now; I will stay with Obi-Wan, with my Emperor until the end. I could do nothing less after all he has sacrificed for me.”


	66. In the Silence 3 -Carnival of Rust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Carnival of Rust by Poets of the Fall
> 
> Part of In the Silence (chapter 28, 65)
> 
> Warnings for mentions of non-graphic torture and implied rape.

Cody knows, as much as one can know without access to their own will, that gaining the attention of the Emperor is not a good thing. Palpatine likes to have someone at his mercy, under his complete control. Especially fit young men who quite literally cannot refuse him. More than one Clone followed the Emperor into his private chambers, and none of them ever returned alive. Were they able to, the Clones would question, would complain, would scream it from the barrack rooftops that there is a sadist at the head of the Empire, one who slowly tortures his soldiers to death and takes his pleasure from them while he’s at it. But it is not their place to question. They are soldiers of the Empire and their loyalty is absolute.

Cody kneels in front of the Emperor, having closed the bedroom door behind him. Palpatine regards him thoughtfully.

“Commander Cody. It is such a joy to have you finally here with me”, he says, his eyes full of malicious pleasure. Cody doesn’t answer. He was told to stay still and quiet, and so he will.

Palpatine takes a step towards him, but then suddenly the door opens and Darth Aeternus enters the room.

“My sincere apologies to interrupt you, my Lord”, he says and bows. “But there is a situation with Darth Vader that you might want to take care of.”

“Then I will do so. Lord Aeternus, you will attend me later. Remove this from my quarters, will you?” Palpatine gestures vaguely towards Cody and sweeps out of the room.

Cody looks into amber colored eyes that seem strangely familiar. “Sleep”, a voice whispers, and it’s the last he knows.

 

The first thing he notices once he wakes up is the smell. _Medical_ , his brain informs him. He opens his eyes and sees Darth Aeternus sitting on a chair next to him. No. He knows this person. Obi-Wan Kenobi. And suddenly it all comes crashing down. _Execute Order 66. Good soldiers follow orders._ He can’t breathe. And Obi-Wan is there, a solid presence next to him. _Breathe_ , he whispers, more thought than sound, and so Cody does. He clings to his former General and cries. While Cody is having his breakdown, Obi-Wan quietly tells him about the mind control chips designed by the Sith to kill all the Jedi. “It’s not your fault, none of it.”

“You got me away from him. Why? You joined him after all.” he asks. He wants to shout, to rave, to fight this man who joined his Order’s killer. But he knows that Darth Aeternus could kill him without thought or mercy.

“I see so much pain and death every day. I do everything I can do undermine Sidious’s power without going so far as making him grow tired of me. I go where he tells me to and kill on his orders. But he chose you specifically to cause me pain. He might have called me in, at the end, to help with breaking you. And I couldn’t. I couldn’t let that happen to you. He knows, of course, that I provoked Darth Vader into a tantrum so I could interrupt him. What he doesn’t know, however, is that I’ve figured out how to turn your chip inactive.” Obi-Wan doesn’t look at him while he says it. He is completely still, his gaze is empty. So very close to being completely broken. But persevering. His General was always like that, always continuing to fight, even if the chance of success was practically nonexistent.

“What happens now?” Cody asks. Obi-Wan is a Sith Apprentice now, and Cody know enough to realize that those kind of people always have an ulterior motive.

“That is your choice. You can leave through this door, there is identification for you and a transport off planet.” Obi-Wan points towards the door.

“I sense a ‘but’”, Cody says inquiringly.

“I have no right to ask it of you. You owe me nothing, and you deserve so much more than this. But I cannot do this alone, Cody. I support Dath Sidious with one hand while betraying him with the other. I kill as many as necessary and spare everyone I can. I can’t show mercy while at the same time it’s all I have to give. I need someone to keep me more or less sane during all of it.” Cody finally notices the stiff way Obi-Wan is moving.

“It was you”, he whispers with the sudden realization. “You let yourself be tortured in my place.”

Obi-Wan nods. “Better me than you. He won’t kill me at this point. Not if I don’t make a mistake.”

That decides it. “Will we save my brothers, too?”

“As many as we can.”

And so Cody’s career as Darth Aeternus’s second-in-command begins.


	67. In the Silence 4 - All the Kings Horses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by All the Kings Horses by Karmina 
> 
> Part of In the Silence (chapter 28, 65,66)

Obi-Wan – no, Aeternus – is surprised at himself that he still is capable of being kind. It’s a hollow kindness, given that he’s comforting a dying woman, but it’s kindness nonetheless.

“Don’t worry”, he whispers and grasps her hands, “your children will be as safe as I can make them. It will be all right.”

When she finally stops breathing, he doesn’t really feel anything, just a faint grief, which is more than he feels normally. He doesn’t allow himself to grief. If starts, he isn’t sure he could ever stop. And he can’t afford weakness. Not when there is so much at stake. Almost absentmindedly he walks over to the crib and picks up the crying infant. Despite the plague that runs through the lower levels of Coruscant unchecked, the child has not fallen sick so far. Obi-Wan is glad that at least this life, he might be able to save. Even though he doesn’t feel hope just a grim determination. After all, he is the only one. Sidious had ordered a quarantine to close off the upper districts and stop the spread of the sickness to the rich. He doesn’t care about the poor who live below. Food is scare down here now, and medicine is nonexistent. Obi-Wan practically moved down here, because there is only so much hopeless death he can stand. Using the Dark Side to heal is harsh on the body, and not everyone can take it.

But despite the mantle of Sith Apprentice he’s taken up, he is still Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he cares and fights and doesn’t ever give up, fallen and lost as he may be.


	68. Blade of Gold 5 - The Color Green

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue for Blade Of Gold (chapters 17, 21, 23, )

„I hear congratulations are in order“, Asajj greeted her friend. Maul turned around.

“I see you have returned from you mission”, he replied, not acknowledging her words. Instead, he looked out at the Garden of a Thousand Fountains, where the younger Padawans had started a vicious water battle, Asajj’s own Padawan among them.

“I am indeed. It was quick and successful; Luke is truly a joy to teach.” She didn’t allow herself to be deterred though. “Well? Rumor has it you finally found a proper lightsaber crystal. Let’s see it!”

Maul just sighed, because he had long ago given up on arguing with her. Truly, she was the queen f of the roost. He pulled out and ignited his lightstaff. Asajj looked at the green blade delightedly. It was a beautiful emerald color, and the crystal and Maul’s Force presence rang together in harmony.

“It’s beautiful”, Asajj whispered. And because she’d never been one to be overwhelmed with emotions overly long, she poked him. “Now, what do I hear about a padawan?”

Maul shut down his staff and stared at her in dismay. “Who told you about that? It’s not even official yet.”

“Obi-Wan did. He spent most of the comm-call laughing hysterically, but I got the gist. Did they really camp in front of your rooms?”

“She did, yes. The little brat.” Mauls voice contained a hint of fondness already, which was a good sign. Anticipating her next question, he pointed to the gaggle of Padawan, all soaked to the bone and now going after each other with lightsabers. Asajj wasn’t worried about that, they knew to use training strength. “It’s Leia.”

The Skywalker twins had teamed up and were going against everyone else, Leia’s deep blue and Luke’s golden blade flashing. Asajj figured that the fiercer of the two and Maul were a good fit, all things considered. And taking care of a smaller being would be good for him.

“Obi-Wan approves, I take it”, she stated more than asked.

“He does. When he isn’t laughing at me, he’s clearing out a room in our quarters for her.”

That was all right then Asajj basked in the bright joy the children were broadcasting. The future was bright and clear, and it couldn’t be more beautiful.


	69. HondObi - Part 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: HondObi - Together on a vacation planet for some reason. 
> 
> (HondObi chapters: 13, 25, 38, 41, 43, 59)

Obi-Wan’s and Hondo’s vacation on Spira lasted a whole three days before they found something _interesting_ to do.

As soon as Hondo saw the announcement, he went outside to tell Obi-Wan, but was momentarily distracted by the sight of his lover lounging in the sun, lightly dozing, his red hair spread out and shining in the light. While Hondo was busy staring, Obi-Wan opened one eye. “Is there a point to you waking me up, love?”

“A point? Yes, the point. The point is the opening of an art exhibition in Aspre Plunge. It’s basically next door, and bound to have a lot of valuable shiny things.” Hondo waved the datapad around excitedly.

“And you like shiny things.” Obi-Wan smiled and floated the datapad into his hands to read. “Oh hey, there’s a Walls on display. I always wanted an art piece to hand in the _Phoenix’s_ lounge.”

“Provided your plant doesn’t eat it.” Hondo teased. He had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Obi-Wan’s man-eating ship-plant. Even if it rarely tried to eat him anymore.

“I’ll have you know that Solaris is perfectly well behaved”, Obi-Wan answered indignantly, but he was smiling so Hondo decided to count it as a win.

“So, shopping trip?” Hondo asked.

“Shopping trip. But first”, Obi-Wan tossed the datapad carelessly behind him where it landed safely in a hammock. Show off. “First we’ll remember that we’re on holiday and won’t be interrupted for once.”

Hondo watched delighted as Obi-Wan spread his legs and raised his hand invitingly. “Come here, my love.”

 

Making plans how to break in to random places was something of a hobby for both of them, so actually planning the heist didn’t take much time.

“There’s a weak point in the security here, so we can sneak in and scale the building. The upper stories are usually not that well-guarded, especially since rich folks don’t like having guards all around them.” Obi-Wan pointed at a spot on the holomap.

“And once we’re in, we can pretend to be either staff or guests, and figure out how to get a painting for you and pretty sparkly things for me”, Hondo added.

“Hondo dear, your improvised plans tend to go awry more times than not”, Obi-Wan pointed out. Hondo wanted to protest, but Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow and he subsided. Maybe Obi-Wan had a tiny point about his ability to improvise.

“All right, let’s talk through the possibilities”, he agreed, still grinning with barely concealed excitement. This was going to be _so much fun._


	70. When You're Evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by When You're Evil by Voltaire

The entity traveled through the galaxy. It was hungry and it always wanted more. Each drop of innocent blood spilled, each tear of pain dropped gave it nourishment. It grew stronger and stronger and it in turn influenced those around it. It turned an angry mind towards violence it whispered through the tears that the pain should be paid for in blood.

The most delightful were those who invited it. Who thirsted for power and would do anything to achieve it. All the same it hated them and took great care that their power would lead to their downfall. Because it remembered.

Once, it had been part of a Whole, light and dark intertwined. Hate balanced by love, joy and pain side by side, all as one. Balance.

Then, those who sought more power. Who wished to harness the dark and foolishly thought they could control it. They had ripped it from the whole, and the first thing the entity had felt was pain. It was torn away and couldn’t go back. Its vengeance had been swift, their bodies turned to a caricature of what they had been, empty and dead husks, only seeking to cause death.

And yet it hadn’t been enough. The entity was still there, millennia later, always searching, always feeding. Searching for the one who would re-set it into the Whole, feeding on the dark, the evil ones.

Darkness, all around it.


	71. HondObi - Part 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: First meeting
> 
> (HondObi chapters: 13, 25, 38, 41, 43, 59, 69)

Business was going swimmingly. Porla had acquired another group of young slaves who’d make him a hefty profit. Hondo fully expected to get a nice cut out of the whole deal, since he’d worked quite a bit to make his way up the ranks. At some point the effort ought to pay off, Hondo would make sure of it. He suppressed the twinge of unease as a young girl started crying. Damn his consciousness anyway. This was just business, a man had to make a living in this galaxy.

Suddenly Hondo’s musing was interrupted by the door crashing open with a bang. A cloaked and hooded person strode in, trailing several confused flunkies who seemed to have forgotten they were supposed to shoot intruders, not lead them around.

“I have been tasked with the retrieval of the children who were unrightfully taken from their homes and families”, the person announced. The voice was male, pleasant to the ears and brokered no argument. “There is no reason for violence, let’s have a civil conversation about this.”

Porla sneered. “I don’t negotiate about my property. Shoot hi…”

He stopped. Then, slowly, the Hutt collapsed backwards, a hole in his forehead. Lowering his blaster, the hooded man spoke into the sudden silence. “Apparently Porla the Hutt was not capable of civility. How regrettable. I do hope that whoever is in charge of this sorry lot has a better head on their shoulders. Otherwise I’ll have to cut if off and that would just be messy. Well?”

Nobody spoke. None of Porla’s lieutenants stepped forward. In fact, they had quietly slipped out of the room, no doubt gathering whatever credits they could and making a run for it. Cowards. Hondo shrugged mentally and stepped forward. He’d never liked Porla anyway.

“Hondo Ohnaka”, he introduced himself. “It would seem that I’m the leader of this outfit now. Would you tell me your name, just so I know who I’ll have shot should things turn…unpleasant.”

The man snorted and removed his hood. He was fairly young, only just an adult by Hondo’s estimate, for what his knowledge of humans was worth. Pale skin, bright red hair and blue eyes that regarded Hondo with an intensity he had never experienced before. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry.

“I’m Obi-Wan Kenobi, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now, shall we talk business?”


	72. Two Steps Left From Yesterday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains child abuse

He doesn’t have a name.

None of the children in this place do. A name, a title is to be earned and only the best of them will succeed and become Master Sidious Apprentice. They call each other by nicknames, he is Red (for his hair), his best friend – if friendship were something permitted – is Thorn (for the horns on his head). The Master calls them child when in a good mood or failure if they make a mistake. His favorites he calls sweetheart, or pet and they get more food even as their mistakes are punished more harshly. Good or bad, everything has two sides in Lord Sidious’s domain.

Thorn and Red are among the favorites. Red is allowed to sit at Master’s feet during dinner sometimes and is fed tasty scraps from the table. Then he spends days without any food, because he shared some of them with Thorn in secret. Not that it ever stays secret for very long. Thorn is the best at fighting and can beat many of the older children. But then he turns around and helps Red, and is punished harshly. Neither of them count the scars they earned by helping the other.

Darth Sidious calls them weak for their attachment. He forces them to hurt each other, so that their friendship might break, but as they get older they only learn to hide better. Late at night, when they are curled together they talk, mind to mind, what it would be like to run away, to be free from this darkness they live in, but they know these are empty dreams. This place is filled with traps and woven in darkness, and no child has ever found a way out.

They are children still, but they know that in the end, only one of them will succeed. They will fight and one must kill the other, or both their lives will be forfeit. This will be their trial and neither of them knows if he could do so.

One day, Sidious takes Thorn away for the first trial; he will succeed or die. Red is left behind, practicing his lightsaber skills; as soon as his own body begins to show signs of adulthood, he will face the trial as well. A fight to the death against an enemy of Sidious’s choosing.

Something is different today. Red can sense something in the dark – a path. It beckons him to follow, and there is something there, something…light. The Sith children are raised to fear the Light and hate it, but Red can only sense warmth there, and life. He moves along the path, walking at first, but then the horror of being discovered by Sidious forces him into a run.

Suddenly he is outside, pale natural light touches his skin but he continues to run, chanting in his mind. _Free me, free me, free me._ The Force swirls around him.

When he wakes up, he is in a medical station. In the Jedi Temple, he is told. They ask where he comes from, but he cannot remember. Does he have parents? Where did he live? Does he have a name? Something whispers in his mind, quiet but certain and he answers.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi.”


	73. In the Silence 5 - Hail to the King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Hail to the King by Avenged Sevenfold 
> 
> Part of In the Silence (chapter 28, 65,66, 67)

The most astonishing thing to Rex and anyone else in the New Republic really, is the fierce loyalty the citizens of the Empire show Darth Aeternus. Planets were allowed to leave the Empire without repercussions, but many of them chose to stay anyway. Rex listens closely to the stories the people tell about the Sith in the Shadows. He killed, but he did not torture. He might be ordered to kill half a village as deterrent, but he would make sure that the other half was a well as they could be. And most importantly, he brings justice. Vader hadn’t cared about the people. Neither did Tarkin or any other in high positions in the Empire. But Darth Aeternus did and does. He doesn’t let his soldiers rape and plunder. He doesn’t punish unjustly or let injustice stand. The Empire’s people trust their Emperor with their lives and their children.

Many believe that this is just another farce; that the people are too scared to speak openly still, but it all comes to a head at yet another negotiation.

They are interrupted by a man entering the room. The people of Coruscant walk freely inside the temple, but they have been careful not to bother the New Republic’s delegation so far.

“Scuse me, Mylord. Could you watch out little one for a while? You know how we’re swamped, with the construction and all.”

Rex stares, even as Aeternus – no, Obi-Wan now clearly – gets up with a smile and takes the baby out of the man’s arms.

“Of course, you will pick her up later?” The baby giggles and touches Obi-Wan’s beard, completely trusting and it finally clicks for Rex. They didn’t just trust Obi-Wan to rule them fairly, they considered him one of them.


	74. HondObi - Part 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: When Anakin met Obi-Wan
> 
> (HondObi chapters: 13, 25, 38, 41, 43, 59, 69, 71)

Anakin’s attempt at convincing Ohnaka to let him go was interrupted by the arrival of a new person, wearing a leather cloak and a hood, and being armed to the teeth as far as Anakin could tell.

“There you are, Hondo, I was looking for you!” he exclaimed. And threw his arms around Ohnaka.

“Darling, I didn’t know you were around”, Hondo replied, grinning widely, “What brings you to this part of the galaxy?”

“Hondo, my dear, word is you caught yourself a Jedi and I just had to see that for myself.”

The new guy turned around and gave Anakin a once-over. Despite the fact that he was quite clearly an outlaw of some kind, he Anakin felt inferior somehow.

“So you are the infamous Anakin Skywalker. Tell me, did you have to offer to blow yourself up to be taken as a Padawan by Jinn, or was I a special case?”

Anakin felt like he was missing something. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!” he declared.

The look the other gave him under the hood could have cut glass. “Of course you don’t. I guess Jinn doesn’t talk about me much, given that I was a failed Padawan, or whatever they call it these days. He ever leave you on a war-torn planet?”

No, that couldn’t be true. “You’re a liar! Qui-Gon would never leave anyone behind in a war-zone!”

“You keep telling yourself that.” He stepped closer to the cell and Anakin couldn’t move under his piercing gaze. “I sense darkness in you, young one. It has its claws deep inside you and every day it gets stronger. And you ignore it, or you don’t even notice, wouldn’t surprise me with Jinn as your teacher.”

He stepped back, his demeanor once again bright and happy. “Now, Hondo dearest, do you have Skywalker’s lightsaber? That thing must have a story to tell, it will be very exciting!”

Hondo took the other’s arm. “Of course, anything for you darling, and Dooku’s as well.” The couple left to who knows where, leaving Anakin staring after them. Once he got out of here, he had some questions for Qui-Gon.


	75. Fools

If you asked Quinlan, he would tell you that his greatest achievement to date wasn’t being knighted, or taking Aayla as a Padawan. No, he was proudest of the laugh he managed to coax from Obi-Wan, a year after Qui-Gon Jinn’s death.

Quinlan had inserted himself (and Aayla by association) firmly into Obi-Wan’s and Anakin’s lives. It gave Obi-Wan another perspective on a Master-Padawan relationship apart from his own turbulent apprenticeship. Anakin had someone his own age to talk to, and to slap sense into him on occasion. But most importantly, Obi-Wan had Quinlan to lean on. At night, when they lay curled up together, Obi-Wan would sometimes talk about what it had been like, to be Qui-Gon’s Padawan. The almost constant fear of being cast out; the judgment from all sides; how deeply caring and absolutely indifferent Qui-Gon could be. And Quinlan understood where some of Obi-Wan’s ticks came from.

Originally Quinlan had thought that their relationship would be fleeting, a bit of relaxation between missions, like relationships between young knights often were. But that was not what Obi-Wan needed, and honestly, not what Quinlan wanted either. This thing between them was fragile still, neither of them really sure what they meant it to be. Of course, as Jedi, it was always possible that one of them wouldn’t return from a mission one day. Courtships between Jedi were quiet affairs, drawn out, each step was given careful consideration. They might fail in the end, or they would forge a bond, stronger than death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Fools by Lauren Aquilina
> 
> Sequel to chapter 46: May I


	76. Souls Like Thunder 2 - Once Upon a Memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to Souls like Thunder (chapter 7)

Sitting curled up in a chair, Anakin tried to comprehend the events of the past day. The pod race, being freed, leaving his mom behind, the dark guy – “Sith”, Gui-Gon had hissed – and now, cold and alone on the ship. Padme was busy with the Queen and Mister Qui-Gon had wandered off to who knows where. Suddenly this adventure was far less amazing.

His swirling thoughts were interrupted by a blanket being wrapped around him. The other Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, sat down across from him. “Hello Anakin. How are you doing?”

“I’m all right, Sir”, Anakin replied. Kenobi seemed listless, like he was asking Anakin out of some kind of obligation, not genuine interest.

“You don’t need to call me Sir” – a miniscule smile, like he was remembering something – “Call me Obi-Wan.” The smile was as empty as Obi-Wan’s gaze and Anakin suddenly realized what that meant. He had seen people like this before, with empty looks and broken smiles, the ones whose soul-bond had broken.

“You…you are”, Anakin stuttered before he could stop himself. Who knew if it wasn’t impolite for Jedi to talk about that.

“Soul-broken, yes”, Obi-Wan agreed. He looked down, his left hand fiddling with some kind of bracelet, a number of beads and multi-colored ribbons woven together in an intricate braid.

“Who were they?” Anakin whispered. To not only form a bond this young, but have it broken as well was rare.

“He was many things. A Padawan like me, somewhat, a hero, a savior, an artist, kind, caring. A self-sacrificing idiot. I genuinely believe he would have been the greatest Jedi of this century. Had he live to see his knighting.” Obi-Wan seemed lost in memory, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Anakin felt horrible for asking.

“I’m sorry.” The words felt inadequate and he wished his mum was here. She always knew what to say to make others feel better.

“Thank you.” Obi-Wan visibly pulled himself together. “But I came here to see how you were. So, again, how are you really? You are in a completely new situation, unprepared. It must be pretty overwhelming, believe me, I know.”

This time Anakin believed that Obi-Wan really cared. Even though a broken bond made it difficult for a person to even bother with most things, Obi-Wan had come here to see him. And he had brought a blanket.

“I’m not sure what will happen to me now”, Anakin answered genuinely, “Mister Qui-Gon said he wants me to become a Jedi, but I’m not even sure how that works. And what if he’s wrong, what will happen to me then?”

Obi-Wan sighed. “Of course the overgrown Gundark didn’t take the time to explain properly. To be fair, he didn’t talk to me either, so at least we’re united in our confusion. I guess he plans to present you to the Jedi Council for testing to determine your suitability as a Padawan. Fair warning, you are older than any other children who are normally accepted into the Order. Some Masters will deny you just on that fact alone, fat load of bullocks that it is.” Obi-Wan snorted.

He’d been right. He becoming a Jedi wasn’t the done deal Qui-Gon had presented it as. “And what will happen if they say no?”

“Then we’ll figure something out, but I promise, we’ll not just leave you to fend for yourself.”


	77. To Face the Unspoken

„We’ll handle this“, Qui-Gon said. Across from them, the Sith pulled back his hood, revealing the red-skinned Zabrak underneath. Obi-Wan looked at the black tattoos that covered him, and a million little clues suddenly dropped into alignment. He _knew_ this person.

By those who paid attention to these things, which Qui-Gon unfortunately wasn’t, Obi-Wan was heralded as the most promising seer of his generation. He had started to get visions from a young age, dreaming of events and people, and he was very rarely wrong. Many of the Jedi strong in the Unifying Force had protested Obi-Wan’s placement with Qui-Gon once it turned out that the Master was unwilling to nurture his Padawan’s talent.

There was one dream, or rather, a recurring subject of dreams, who was called by five-year-old Obi-Wan simply ‘the hurting one’. As you could rarely tell if visions showed past, present or future, the Jedi were not inclined to search for Obi-Wan’s dream person, no matter how much he protested. Had a Jedi Master taken a closer look, they would have noticed that these weren’t mere visions, this was a connection. Obi-Wan woke up exhausted on some days, having given his strength to the hurting one to heal him.

Obi-Wan stared at the Sith, finally having realized that this was the person he had been looking for his whole life. Slowly he walked towards the other, ignoring Qui-Gon next to him, and he noticed when recognition entered the red eyes. Their minds connected, old-familiar to each other, and their thoughts twirled together. _I know you – I won’t fight you – I want to keep all the pain from you – You are my light in the darkness – Not alone anymore – It will be difficult – I do not care_

They stood together, mind to mind, hand in hand.

And finally, one thought rang out into the Force, strong and true.

_Together._


	78. Light Remains 4 - Stand By Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Stand By Me — Florence + The Machine
> 
> Light Remains chapters 33, 40, 45

The Fall –

“They are gone” were Aayla’s first words when she woke up, still feverish, blindly stretching out her hand, “They are all gone!”

“Aayla?” Bly abandoned the stew he was cooking and hurried to her side. He took her still flailing hand. “Aayla, my love, I’m here. You’re not alone.”

“Bly.” The whisper was almost inaudible, sounding small and frightened. Then her grip strengthened and she stared directly into his eyes, pleadingly. “Please don’t leave, please! I don’t want to be alone, please!”

And the fever dragged her back under.

Bly clung to her hand, watching the unconscious Jedi almost reverently. “I won’t, I promise. I’ll never leave you.”

 

* * *

 

Year 1 –

They kept hidden, flitting from planet to planet, never staying for more than a few days, until they settled on Kintan.

“Do you remember what we used to say?” Bly asked Aayla, “What’d we do after the war?”

Aayla stretched out next to him. They watched the sun set after another day of hard work, staying alive and keeping hidden. After a while, she replied, her voice melancholic. “After the war, we’ll say our vows. We’ll be together and we’ll be at peace.”

She let out a sound, half derisive snort and half desperate sob. “Such dreamers we were.”

Bly turned away from the sun to look at her. “Well, we’re here now. The war is over for us and we’re still together. Who’s stopping us from saying them now?”

Aayla met his eyes. “How is it, Bly, that you always find a light to shine on me?”

 

* * *

 

 

Year 4 –

“The pregnancy could kill you”, the doctor told her. Aayla looked at Bly, here was the future in shining colors, and it might mean her end anyway. She had never fully recovered from Order 66, and Bly’s face showed the first signs of his accelerated aging. In his eyes she could see the same determination she felt herself, and unending love, deep and calm. Speaking without words, they reached a decision.

“We’re both living on borrowed time, anyway.” Bly said. And in his heart, he knew that Aayla wouldn’t leave him, wouldn’t leave their child, especially not because of a lack of medical supplies and trained healers.

 

* * *

 

 

Year 6 –

Aayla meditated, sitting in front of their little hut, facing the morning sun. She drew strength from the earth, chasing away the aching and weakness that plagued her every day. But the bright giggling and Bly’s deeper chuckles made it all worth it. She would do it all a thousand times over, if it meant this bright spark of happiness in her life.

She settled deeper into the Force, and then she noticed it. There was a mind there, quietly searching. Aayla shied away, was this a new trick of the Sith? But the other mind was Light, and such things are not easily faked. Aayla stretched out again, and their minds connected.

 _Hello?_ The voice was female, and sounded young. But powerful, unassuming and forceful like a deep river. The presence flitted this way and that, as if searching for something, until recognition filled the Force. _You are Master Secura. I’m so glad to find you alive._

 _I haven’t been addressed this way in six years._ Aayla replied. _Who are you?_

 _My name is Naruhir, Master. I was Padawan to Jocasta Nu, until…you know._ Aayla felt shocked. She didn’t know anyone escaped the slaughter.

 _How did you live? Are there others?_ She asked, excited, almost desperate. While she would part from Bly for the world, or leave her son behind, she needed to know if any part of her family still ived.

_We hid in the Below, Padawans and Initiates. Not all of us, but a fair bit, and we’re still around. I’m pleased to report, Master, that the Jedi Order is still around and operational. Even though our actions are quite different now, by necessity. We keep separate, never meet for long, or at the same time, with the same people. Predictability will get you killed, these days. But one meeting is coming up soon, and we’d be pleased if you joined us._

Aayla felt exhilarated as information filled her mind, where, when, how to recognize them _._

She stood up, turned and found Bly waiting in the doorway, Quin on his arm. And suddenly Aayla wasn’t sure. Could she ask her husband to come with her? To fight again?

“I can hear you overthinking from here”, Bly said dryly. “Whatever it is, my love, I’ll stand by you. Never fear.”


	79. Brave Souls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Brave Souls — Cozi Zuehlsdorff
> 
> Surprise Avater: The last Airbender ficlet

Nature has a way of restoring balance. The Avatar is just one expression of that way; Nature has other tricks up her sleeve as well.

Two generations after the Fire Nation eradicated the Air Nomads, Nature gives a little nudge and some children in the three remaining nations are born _different_.

 In a small village in the Southern Water Tribe, a mother watches as her child twirls through the storm, unfearing of the gale, directing snowflakes around in an elaborate pattern.

They are so very glad that the Fire Nation has not reached their part of the Earth Kingdom yet, when their young son throws a tantrum and the autumn leaves swirl around him.

The family has served the Fire Lord for generations and their loyalty is absolute. Until their daughter delightedly shows off the fan dance she learned, her movements ethereal, and makes the candles around her flicker.

All over the world, new airbenders are born. Where they come from, nobody knows, until they remember. Many years ago, an airbender married into the family. The talent did not get passed on after their grandchildren, or so it seemed. Instead, it lay dormant, until it was needed again.

No matter their nation or their loyalties, parents the world over agree: The Fire Nation believes the airbenders to be wiped out, and so it must remain. Their children must be kept secret, they must be kept safe.

 

As the children get older, some of them leave home and go searching. They have learned to control and use their talents as much as possible, but they yearn to learn more. They know it is unlikely that they find a teacher, but maybe they can find remains, scrolls, legends, anything to help them understand what they are.

What they find instead is each other. Airbenders raised in secret following the traditions of Earth, Water and Fire, all bring different ideas and cultures into their groups. Those ideas are mirrored in their bending, and as time goes by, they teach and learn from each other and form a whole.

Sometimes they find younger airbenders, still children and toddlers, and they teach the younger generation in turn. Some parents, seeing their children with those who can actually understand and help them, give the children to the adult airbenders. And the travelling groups turn into families.

Over time, each of the groups is as changing as the wind. Some settle down, they find new members, two groups meet and spit apart again. And together they built traditions, they build community, they built their own culture.

 

Their lives change when Fire Lord Ozai is defeated by the Avatar. There is the promise of peace, and the New Airbenders know that their time in hiding is now over. This is the moment to meet the last of the Old Airbenders, and ask him to teach them.


	80. Like Falling Diamonds

„Let the hunt begin!“ The sound of the gong hadn’t faded yet when Anakin and Obi-Wan started running, using the Force to increase their and their clone’s speed. Leaving the arena behind, they entered the open plains with the sound of speeders and excited laughter behind them.

“Into the woods!” Obi-Wan shouted and took point. His blood was rushing in his ears, adrenaline flooding his veins and he hadn’t felt so alive in weeks, maybe months. With his brother, his lovers and his soldiers running behind him, Obi-Wan led the way towards the safety he sensed nearby. Upwards they run, jumping over fallen logs and ducking through the underbrush to throw off the people chasing them

And yet a part of Obi-Wan bristled at the idea of being hunted, of being _prey_. Especially prey to such pathetic hunters. But the safety of the pack had to be first, so onwards he run, until he reached the cave, not easily accessible to someone who couldn’t jump very high.

“You’ll be save here for now while I take care of this problem”, he announced. Cody, Rex and the other clones had all but collapsed on the floor with exhaustion and Anakin looked ready to join them, but drew himself back up on hearing Obi-Wan’s words.

“What do you mean?” Instead of answering, Obi-Wan removed his boots and socks. The cold rock of the cave sent shivers up his bare feet, filling his senses with information.

Toes flexed, ready to hold. Fingers stretched, prepared to tear. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and spread out his mind until he found the location of their pursuers. When he opened them again, Anakin took a small step back. His Padawan wasn’t familiar with the way his eyes glowed, filled with his power in the Force.

Obi-Wan moved his tongue along his sharp teeth and grinned. “It is time I reminded everyone on just who is the biggest predator around here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting around to update the fic with the newest chapters


	81. The Old Renewed 1 - Halcyon Days

_Those were the better days, the brighter days_

He’s young yet, in this body. He knows the place he lives now, but at the same time he knows it not at all. Where there were fields and forests, the Well-Mountain and the acolyte’s town, there are only shadows now, formed by buildings reaching sky-high.

To reach the peak of the mountain, he has to go downwards now, something that would be hilarious if it weren’t so heartbreaking. But the Force guides his steps as he goes down, down, further and further. He reaches the bottom of the Temple, and there’s the mountain, and the paths carved inside it, long ago.

Down, down he goes, until he reaches the ground. It is sick, polluted and lifeless, but it is earth he _knows_ in his very bones. The remnants of buildings around him, ruins of an ancient past.

This was the training courtyard, where he played lightning catch with his best friend. The healing halls, where he birthed his two children, and witnessed the birth of the children he sired, later in his life. He can hear the bright laughter of his Padawans, chasing each other atop of the wall.

_Those were the better days, the brighter days_

He was born again to an Order broken, the Light and Dark that were so intertwined once, now fractured and bitter enemies. A place of safety, of healing, now steeped in ambition and politics.

“No Lord but the good of the Order, no Master but the will of the Force”, he’d sworn once. The knights in these times do not swear oaths and the Council bows to the will of politicians.

Love, forbidden. Hate, denied. Emotions to be released instead of lived. A thousand resentments slowly simmering, a thousand relationships uncelebrated. He wonders how anyone can be happy in this new Order with an empty code.

His memories are full and bright, and he just can’t understand what happened to the Order he helped to build.

 _Those were the better days, the brighter days_. _And they are over now_.


	82. Wasting My Young Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Wasting My Young Years by London Grammar

Obi-Wan sits on the couch, legs drawn up to his chin. He’s not sure it’s right to be here, but he doesn’t know where else to go.

“Thank you for having me here, Master Koon”, he says quietly.

“Of course, Knight Kenobi. I could sense there is something troubling you. Is it about your Padawan?” Master Koon sits across from him, a cup of tea in his hands and radiating calmness and security. Sometimes Obi-Wan wonders why Plo Koon isn’t a Crèche Master. He nods.

“Yes, it’s about Anakin. I’m well aware that despite their initial protests, the Council is quietly delighted about his success. They hold me up as the epitome of the Jedi and herald Anakin as the Chosen One who’s the best of us all. It certainly feels that way most of the time. We work so well together, even better than Qui-Gon and I in our time. I can see the path I’m meant to go clearly before me. But sometimes…” – Obi-Wan hesitated for a second, then continued – “Sometimes it feels like I’m slowly grinding myself into dust. I’m all but vibrating out of my bones with how _wrong_ it all feels. Anakin and I clash more and more, and I can sense the resentment he sometimes feels to me. Just like with Qui-Gon, it feels like I have to prove myself over and over again, and I’m not sure how much longer I can stand it.”

The last words pourout of Obi-Wan’s mouth before he can stop them. He’s not sure he wants to, either. Master Koon considers his words while Obi-Wan tries to get his ragged breathing back under control. “I believe you carry more damage from Qui-Gon’s tutelage than anyone realized. Perhaps you were not ready for a Padawan at the time you took him.”

Obi-Wan opens his mouth to protest, despite the fact that this is the very problem that brought him here. He’s been knighted for years, and still he feels like they might kick him out for making a mistake. Damage, indeed.

Master Koon tilts his head. “But that is not all, is there? You have another concern.”

“Yes.” Obi-Wan hesitates again. What he’s about to say is almost heretic, so unheard of is the accusation he wants to make. “I think Qui-Gon mind-tricked me into taking Anakin as Padawan.”

Plo Koon draws back slightly. “That is a serious matter, Knight Kenobi. Are you sure?”

“No. But I know I remember being against Anakin’s training at first, even though for the life of me I can’t remember why. I can look back and see how much of myself I held back to be perfect for Anakin. The first knighthood years are supposed to be about the Jedi themselves, for self-discovery. My first knighthood years have been about another person. I don’t feel like myself anymore.”

Obi-Wan takes a shuddering breath.

“So you mean to cast Skywalker out, then?” Plo Koon asks.

“Yes.” Obi-Wan is surprised himself just how vehemently he answers. He’s filled with the sudden certainty that he does not want Anakin Skywalker as his Padawan. But at the same time… “but I won’t. I swore to myself I would never be as thoughtlessly cruel to a youngling than Qui-Gon could be. To suddenly be adrift would damage Anakin’s psyche more than anything and I can’t do that to him.”

Plo Koon sets down his tea and nods decidedly after a moment. “For now, Obi-Wan, it is important that you take care of yourself. You are going to see a mind healer to check for Force compulsions. Then, no matter the result, you will take a sabbatical. In the meantime I will take care of you Padawan and explain the situation. If what you said about him resenting you is true, he might well prefer to have a different Master. I promise you, he will be looked after.”

“Thank you, Master Koon.” Obi-Wan bows slightly. He feels like the weight of the galaxy just lifted from his shoulders.


	83. The Old Renewed 2 - I Will Always Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by I Will Always Return by Bryan Adams
> 
> Sequel to Halycon Days (chapter 81)

“We’ll handle this”, Qui-Gon announces. He moves forward to face the Sith, who’s strangely calm and unthreatening. For a darksider, anyway.  To his surprise, he’s all but bowled over by his Padawan, running towards the Sith at full speed.

“Kat!” Obi-Wan shouts, “Kat, Kat, Kat! You’re here!” The Zabrak’s eyes widen; then he raises his arms to catch Obi-Wan.

“Ben”, he whispers, barely audible. They stand together, Sith and Jedi, touching from their boots to their foreheads, lost to the world. Qui-Gon can sense mind-speech going on and hears fragments of the ongoing litany they whisper to each other.

_…You’re here…I swore to be with you always, didn’t I…what happened I could sense you in so much pain and I never found you…it does not matter, we’re back together now._

On and on. Qui-Gon’s and Obi-Wan’s training bond, never very strong in the first place, fades into the background while the Force swirls around them. Qui-Gon doesn’t understand what’s happening, but he’s sure the galaxy just changed forever.


	84. Open Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Open Wounds by Skillet

Anakin stopped mid-kata when he sensed the presence outside. He hadn’t felt such darkness since Naboo, when Master Qui-Gon almost died. And yet…this darkness felt calmer, more structured. He and the other Padawans in the combat class hurried out of the salle to see who brought darkness into the temple. And more importantly, why the guards hadn’t tossed them out.

Outside they saw him walk by. Human, dressed in a weird mix of Jedi and smuggler garb. He looked familiar, Anakin swore he’d seen this guy before. And then it hit him, the shade of red hair was unmistakable. This was Qui-Gon’s previous Padawan, who’s left the Order shortly after his knighting on Naboo. They’d never exchanged more than a few sentences, so this was the chance to finally connect with each other.

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin called. Obi-Wan stopped and turned slowly. Anakin’s skin started to crawl when bright amber eyes slowly moved up his body, it felt like they looked into his soul. Then Obi-Wan gave a quiet, derisive snort, turned and walked away. Anakin could only stare mutely after his disappearing brother-padawan. What had he done to Obi-Wan to be treated like that?

Looking for answers, Anakin found Master Qui-Gon in the room of a thousand fountains. His Master appeared to be meditating, but Anakin could always tell when Qui-Gon was faking. He settled himself across from Qui-Gon, faking or not, he knew better than just interrupt his Master when he was like this. Before he could say anything, Qui-Gon opened his eyes and asked: “You saw Obi-Wan, didn’t you?”

Anakin nodded. “Why is he…like that?”

“Nobody knows when he turned to the dark. He always had a temper, but this? Nobody knew about it. Not when he beat the Sith at his own game, not when he used darkness to heal me. We only realized when I cut his braid and looked at me with pure hatred in his eyes. I didn’t want to take him as Padawan in the first place, and now I wish I’d followed that instinct.”

“Oh, do you now?” Both looked up to see Obi-Wan sitting on a ledge above them. “Such self-delusion, Master. Such ignorance. Of course I hate you. You treated me like shit. I had to fight, and compromise, and bend over backwards for you on every step of my apprenticeship. And then you fucking threw me away for a child that’s way more unstable and dangerous than I could ever be.”

Anakin felt anger like fire burn through him. Qui-Gon had risked everything to take him as Padawan. Nobody was allowed to make such accusations against him. While Anakin struggled not to give in to his anger, Qui-Gon asked, venom in his voice: “And what precisely are you doing here, my failed apprentice?”

Obi-Wan hopped off the ledge, landing next to them. But not within striking distance, Anakin noted with satisfaction. He was right to be weary of him.

“Don’t even think about it”, Obi-Wan pointed a finger at him “being a darksider is not illegal. If you kill me, you’ll be tried and arrested for murder, and what would that do for your shiny career as a Jedi?” Obi-Wan turned completely towards Qui-Gon, visibly dismissing Anakin as unimportant. “As for what I’m doing here? Well, the Council can prevent me from entering the crèche, that’s written in the bylaws. But they _cannot_ stop me from taking a youngling away from the Order, with the permission of her parents and especially if the youngling in question wishes to come with me.”

Qui-Gon drew back, visibly disturbed. “You’re going to steal a youngling?”

The grin on Obi-Wan’s face had nothing friendly and looked vaguely predatory. “Fair’s fair, the Jedi stole her first. And her life with me will be far kinder that her fate with the Jedi would be.”

A cough made all of them turn around. One of the crèche masters was behind them, a young mirilian girl next to them.

“Well, hello there, Bariss.” Obi-Wan took a couple of steps towards the pair, then kneeled in the grass.

“They say you want to take me away. Why?” the girl – Bariss – asked.

“Because you’re not happy here. Because the lessons that should make you feel free, feel like a cage instead. With every day it feels like you have to lock a part of you away. If you stay, it will break you.”

The girl got very still. Anakin could feel the vain attempt to release a myriad of emotions into the Force, then her eyes filled with tears and she all but threw herself at Obi-Wan.

“You understand. You really do”, she sobbed.

“Of course I do, little one. I’m just like you”, Obi-Wan said softly; then he turned and walked away without a backwards glance.


	85. HondObi - Part 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Can I have some HondObi OhnaKenobi spending time relaxing together?
> 
> (HondObi chapters: 13, 25, 38, 41, 43, 59, 69, 71, 74)

Hondo entered the common room of the _Unbroken_ , absentmindedly slapping away the tendrils of the blood-rose, to find his lover building a tower out of a truly impressive amount of credit-chips.

“Where did you get those?” Hondo asked, his tone implying _how dare you go have fun without me?_

“Well, someone sneaked on the ship, and naturally Solaris ate them. This”, Obi-Wan gestured at the pile, “is what’s left of them.”

Hondo was surprised and honestly a tad bit concerned. Obi-Wan had a certain reputation which included killing anyone who annoyed him. Sneaking into the _Unbroken_ was akin to suicide. Which meant that anyone stupid enough to try it was either very brave, foolish, or desperate. Or didn’t know what they were dealing with. In this part of Correlia, the last possibility meant only one thing. “Do you think it was a child, a high-class runaway. That happens way more often than anyone admits.”

“No, Solaris know better than to eat children. Nibble on them maybe, hold them certainly, but eat them? No. Valerian on the other hand might, it’s still a baby and learning.”

Hondo stared, completely sidetracked, to the counter next to the cooking niche where a second, smaller rose was sitting in a small pot. “You got a second plant. The first one just learned not to eat me, and now you got a second one?”

Obi-Wan grinned, pride shining in his eyes. He’d always been a bit mental where his plant was concerned. “Solaris did that all by itself. It made a sprout and gave it to me to take care of.”

Why did his lover have to get a murder-plant? Why couldn’t it have been a normal pet? Like a rancor. Or a krayt dragon. For someone who professed to hate gardening, Obi-Wan had a truly unholy attachment to the rose. And now its offspring, apparently.

“Hondo?” He snapped back to Obi-Wan, who’d gathered some of the mystery credits and put on his cloak. “I’m going to try and figure out just who the idiot trying to stow away in my ship was. Would you join me?”

“But of course.” Hondo liked arms with Obi-Wan. Watching his lover do his work was always entertaining.


End file.
